Fire and Ice: Zutara Themed Drabbles
by Kyoshi7989
Summary: Have you ever wanted to drown yourself in Zutara? Well, here's your chance! Drabble after drabble of Zutarian goodness. Chapter 68, FINALE SPOILERS: You want to tell her so many things...
1. Opposites Attract

Katara was never good at dancing. It just wasn't her thing. So, of course, at the Firelord's ball celebrating his 18 birthday, she naturally just sat all by herself and watched. Since she was so bad at dancing and all.

And so, of course, because of the fact that she was so bad at dancing, Katara wouldn't dance with anyone. Even though some of the guys that asked her to dance were pretty darn cute. So, yeah. Katara was just sitting there, enjoying her…well; actually Katara wasn't enjoying herself all that much. But she could pretend.

And then, the shadow of this guy fell on her. And, of course, she looked up. And saw the firelord. She couldn't _possibly_ refuse, since it would probably start another war or at least some sort of political crisis. And Katara _was_ the ambassador to the Water Tribe. So she pretty much didn't have a choice. Besides to dance with Zuko.

And what do you know, for some strange reason when Katara was on the dance floor with Zuko, she was actually an okay dancer. For someone who'd never had a dance lesson in her entire life. Zuko wasn't all that bad himself, though. And he was pretty handsome, for a Firebender.

So that was why she said yes. When Zuko asked her to marry him. And when Katara was walking up that aisle, she decided that it was pretty lucky she was an okay dancer. Because otherwise, she might not be marrying Zuko. But maybe it wouldn't have mattered to him if she wasn't a good dancer. Maybe.

And when Zuko came into the room, looking as cute as ever, Katara decided he _definitely_ would have married her anyway. Because he loved her, and love doesn't care about dancing.

_What is it they say? _She wondered, staring into Zuko's amber eyes. Then, when her lips met his…_Ah yes, I remember. Opposites attract._


	2. Can I Tell You Something?

"Katara, are we friends?" Zuko asked the Waterbender, who was modeling a red fire nation dress in a dress shop. He was stuck with Katara for the entire afternoon, while Aang rode komodo rhinos at the petting zoo.

"Of course we are, Zuko," Katara answered distractedly. "Now hand me that necklace." Zuko sighed and handed her a red necklace that was little more than a ribbon with beads sewn on.

"But I mean, are we _really_ friends? Like, can I tell you the truth about anything?" Zuko persisted.

"Anything." Katara assured, beginning to comb out her hair.

"And I can be totally honest?"

"Yep, you can be honest." Katara began to twist her hair back in a bun.

"Completely honest?" Zuko inquired.

"Completely." Katara frowned, removed her bun and began to braid in a red ribbon instead.

"And you won't get mad?" Zuko subconsciously fingered the scar on his hand Katara had given him last time he'd called her a water peasant.

Katara turned around and examined herself in the mirror. "Just spit it out, Zuko. What is it you want to tell me?" Zuko couldn't have been sure, but he thought Katara had a hopeful look on her face for just a moment…

"Okay, here goes…" Zuko took a deep breath. "That dress looks horrible on you."


	3. Goodbye

I looked out on the icy sea; eyes squinted against the cold wind. I didn't want to be here in the quiet calm before battle, away from my wife and children, but it was my duty. Silhouetted against the horizon was the Enemy. In the presence of other's they were the Rebellion, but I thought of them as the Enemy.

I leaned against the rail of the ship and a cool breeze ruffled my hair, passing over the familiar scar. The enemy would attack soon, and once more I would be caught up in the thick of it. My mind wandered over to my wife, Katara. She was so beautiful and precious to me…and I might never see her again. I thought of my children, Kuan Ti and Kira. Whenever I went to battle, they look at my with big round eyes-one pair blue and one amber-and asked if I was coming back. I always said yes. How could I not?

The rebellion was causing all of this mistrust and misery, I just knew it. I was being overthrown by my own sister…_Not that I expected anything less,_ I thought bitterly. Azula had always been cruel and sadistic, but had I ever expected her to turn out like this? Maybe I should have had more faith in her. Maybe it was because no one believed in her…or maybe she was just a perfectionist little witch.

I heard a soldier yell "Look out!" behind me. On my guard, I spun around to see Azula's sneering face looming in front of me.

"Long time no see, _brother_." Azula spat out 'brother' as if it was a bad taste in her mouth.

"Not long enough," I snarled, darting forward. Azula lit up her hands with a ghostly blue glow, face illuminated by an evil grin. I ducked her fireblast and tried to attack from below. But Azula played dirty. She tripped me and shoved me against the mast. I saw her withdraw and iron dagger from her pocket. Too late, the captain came running on the deck, eyes wild.

Strangely, I observed all of this as if I was already outside my body. I thought of my wife and children. _I'm sorry, Katara. I just wasn't good enough to beat Azula…_

As my sister dug the knife into my flesh, with my last breath came deep regret as I realized one of my greatest mistakes.

_I never said goodbye._

So, how'd you like it? Sad, I think. Please review! I seriously lose the will to write without encouragement THROUGH REVIEWS. Oh, and that isn't a threat. I just want a review…


	4. Hugs

"I am not a water peasant! Stop calling me that!" Zuko and Katara were standing on a bridge in a small Earth Kingdom town, yelling their hearts out.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have called you that in the first place if you hadn't compared me to a fat hog monkey!" Zuko snapped.

"Well, maybe _I_ wouldn't have called you a fat hog monkey if _you_ hadn't destroyed my Waterbending scrolls!'

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but then he realized he didn't have a good excuse. Katara, looking furious, rose up her hands and washed a wave of water over Zuko. The Firebender was knocked off the bridge and into the icy stream.

"Help!' he sputtered, "I can't swim!"

Katara gasped and ran off the bridge, alongside the bank of the river. "I'm coming, Zuko!" She dove in the water without blinking an eyelash and grabbed a hold of Zuko's shirt. She yanked him out of the water and dragged him out of the stream.

Zuko collapsed on the ground and coughed up water. Gasping, he sat up and shivered. "You must be freezing!" Katara exclaimed. During Zuko's accident, she seemed to have forgotten her anger.

Zuko nodded and enviously eyed Katara as she bent the water out of her soaked clothes. Looking back, he realized she could have done the same for him, but Zuko was sure Katara had her reasons.

After all, she insisted that hugging Zuko would warm him up greatly. Upon hearing this, Zuko tried not to look like he was glad.

But didn't do a very good job of it.

How do you like it? Please review! And I am now accepting challenges…but no songfics. I don't do songfics.


	5. Smiles

Sokka tried hard not to laugh. The seen before him was almost too humorous to bear. Zuko, fallen asleep a few hours earlier, was snoring loudly, head resting in Katara's lap. He would have challenged his sister to an Agni Kai (whatever _that_ was) if it wasn't for what she was doing.

To be exact, Katara was braiding flowers in Zuko's hair. Sokka had casually suggested throwing him off a cliff instead, but his sister had unfortunately come up with an adequate excuse. Wow, those pink roses were going to leave Zuko smelling like a perfume for days….Boy, would Princess throw a fit when he woke up.

But Sokka did have one question…why was Katara stroking Zuko's hair? And was Zuko actually…._smiling_?!?!?

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I wanted to do a oneshot with Sokka in it...by the way, I would very much appreciate it if anyone readingthiswould kindly take the time to **review**. Like I said before, I am now accepting challenges with the exception of songfics. 


	6. Cute

**As you may have noticed, the wedding drabbles are gone, frankly because I thought the sucked. Here's one I actually put some effort into. But please, GIVE ME CHLLENGES! NOW! I NEED INSPIRATION!**

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"Zuko, if we never get back, I just want to tell you…this is _all _your fault." Katara stomped through the woods, glaring at the Firebender hurrying beside her. 

"It is _not _my fault. You were the one who just _had_ to look at that dress." Zuko snapped, giving Katara a flick on the nose.

"Hey! Don't _flick _me!" Katara shoved Zuko (hard).

"Don't push me!" Zuko pushed Katara pack (harder).

"You know what; we should really make up and be friends."

"Really?" Zuko asked hopefully.

"NO," Katara sneered, giving Zuko the hardest push yet, sending the Firebender toppling onto the ground.

"Hey!" Zuko snatched Katara's hand, bringing her to the ground, too. For a moment, their eyes met. Her eyes were such a beautiful, ocean blue… "You have beautiful eyes," Zuko found himself saying.

Katara let out a shriek. "'_Beautiful eyes_'? Now you are really gonna get it, loverboy! Wait till _Sokka_ hears about this!" Katara jumped up and began running through the forest in a series of angry hops, blushing furiously.

"Wait!" Zuko ran after her, not even bothering to say she was cute when she was angry.


	7. School Play

**Yay! Two updates in 2 days! Please, peeps, review and GIVE ME CHALLENGES.**

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"Yay!" Katara's excited squeal echoed through the halls of Four Nations High school. "I got the part! I'm officially Juliet!" 

"Who's Romeo?" a black haired girl asked, popping her bubble gum.

"Hmm? Oh, some Zuko guy…" Katara leaned forward, squinting at the cast sheet.

"Um, Katara, you do know about the -"

"Balcony scene?" the blue-eyed girl interrupted. "Yeah, it'll be hard doing all that lovey-dovey stuff. At least there's no kiss scene."

"Actually-" Toph began to say, but Katara was already gone, off to practice.

XXX

"Hi, guys! Thanks for giving me the part of Juliet, Iroh." Katara said cheerfully as she walked into the drama room.

"_You're_ Juliet?" a black haired boy, about 17, asked.  
"Yeah." Katara's eyes narrowed. "So, where's Romeo?"  
The boy smirked. "You're looking at him."  
_What?!?!_ "_You're_ Zuko?!?"  
"The one and only," Zuko replied, smoothing his hair.

Katara gritted her teeth. "Well, you better be good, because if you're not-"

"So, I'd thought we'd practice the kiss scene first," Iroh interrupted. The next to words were said (well, shrieked) unanimously.

"'_Kiss scene_'_?!?!?!"_


	8. Cooking and Family

"Dinner's ready!" Zuko's call echoed through camp. "I _said_ dinner's ready!"

"We heard you the first time," Katara snapped, walking over. "We're just afraid that your cooking will poison us."

Zuko glared at her and shoved the waterbender a bowl full of a thick, green sort of mush.

"Ew!" Sokka exclaimed, staring at Katara's dinner. "What is that stuff?"

Zuko eyed his cooking rather warily. "How should I know what it's called? It's not like I've ever cooked before."

"I can see why," Toph muttered, sniffing the greenish stuff in the pot and immediately drawing away.

Katara suddenly got a very bright look on her face. "I know! I'll give you cooking lessons!"  
Zuko stared at her. "No."

Katara's face became fiercely determined. "Now look here, Mr. Firebender, in the family we each take a turn cooking. If you want to travel with us, you are going to have to learn to cook. Is that clear?"  
Zuko mumbled something barely audible, presumably yes.

Katara nodded in satisfaction. "We'll start tomorrow." Then, she marched away.

Sokka stared after her. "Oh no. Now, we won't survive the next five meals."

Zuko grinned. "You now, she said I was part of a family. _Your _family."

Sokka suddenly became very pale.

"Hello, Brother."

It was said the following screams were heard all over the earth kingdom.

But Sokka _was_, however, relieved he didn't have Zuko for a brother-in-_law_.

(Yet.)


	9. Shut Up!

"I can't believe you would do that! You could have _killed_ that boy, and destroyed their whole village! Just because your sister called you a stupid _name_!" Katara's yells cut through the still air of the prairie like a knife through butter.

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "I said sorry, all right? And I didn't know Azula would react at all."

Katara rolled her eyes, and pointed out angrily, "You called her a worthless, good-for-nothing cry-baby and tried to decapitate her!"  
"Will you just be quiet?"  
"NO!" Katara shouted. "I will _not _be quiet!"  
"Just shut up, alright?" Zuko snapped, walking a little closer to Katara.

"Oh, and how exactly will you make me do that?" the waterbender asked sarcastically.

Zuko suddenly darted forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her close to him. Then he leaned forward and gave Katara a soft, gentle kiss-on-the-lips. Her eyes widened in shock and indignation.

The Firebender leaned back, a huge smirk spread across his face.

"That's how."

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**R&R!**


	10. Not For Brothers

Wow! two updates in one day! Aren't I nice?

* * *

I don't know what went wrong. I mean, I've seen Zuko just walk up to Katara and kiss her so she'll shut up. And you know what? _It always works._ So I thought, _Hey, Sokka, why don't you try that trick Zuko uses? It works for him._ And, of course, that's exactly what I did. Used Zuko's dirty little trick. 

I mean, he's the one who came up with it. Yes, Katara, I have been referred to as 'crazy' or 'ignorant' before, but I prefer to ignore those comments. Now be quiet. Back to what I was saying before my sister so rudely interrupted me…due to the fact that I got this from Zuko, I am completely and totally innocent.

Okay, maybe I _don't_ have the sense of a decapitated possum chicken, Toph, but you stay out of this. I didn't deserve to get frozen to a tree, like that idiot Jet.

But I have discovered an important, even crucial fact about survival. You know Zuko's little kiss-her-to-shut-her-up trick?

Well, apparently it doesn't work for brothers.

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Oh, Sokka, now you've done it...Review, peeps! 


	11. Ideas

"Zuko!" Katara's call rang through camp. "I need to talk to you."

"Coming!" Zuko yelled pack, scuffling up to the waterbender. "What is it this time?"  
Katara beamed. "I have laundry duty."

The Firebender groaned. "Katara…."  
She stuck out her lower lip and tried to make her eyes glisten. "Please? I do believe you said something about going to the peanut cart later on…with me…alone…"

Zuko snatched away the laundry basket and stomped off, muttering something about literally working for peanuts.

"Katara….do you and Zuko _like_ each other?" The waterbender turned around to see Sokka suspiciously watching her.

She gave her brother a sweet smile and wide, innocent eyes. "Why, whatever gave you that idea?"


	12. Dirty Dishes

**Um…someone challenged me to do one where Zuko does something wrong and it gets all lovey-dovey. Well, here it is.**

"Zuko!" Katara put her head into the kitchen, peering around at the dirty dishes stack in the stink. What _had_ her recently-wedded-husband done?

"What is it?" Zuko's voice sounded from behind her, and the young woman spun around to face her spouse.

"I _told_ you to do the dishes. I made dinner, so you clean." Katara reminded him, hands on hips.

The black haired man looked confused. "But we have a dish washer."

Katara gave an exasperated sigh. "You have to put the dishes _in_ the dish washer first, Zuko."

He looked rather embarrassed. "Well, I mean, I never-"

Suddenly, she smiled and leaned forward. "That's okay. I know you didn't -"

"No, really, I should've-"

"Honestly, honey, its okay."  
Zuko gazed at her lovingly. "I love you.

"I love you, too." Katara's eyes met his, and for a moment she was back at their wedding, making her vows.

_'Do you, Katara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?'_

_'I do.'_

_'You may kiss the bride.'_

"Are you hungry?" Zuko's inquiry brought Katara out of her flashback.

"Let's get ice cream," she suggested.

Then, linking arms, husband and wife walked out the door-without so much as a thought to dirty dishes.

**Aww. I like this one. Requests, anyone?**


	13. Babysitting

Dragon Jadefire's challenge.

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"You can feed Kana and Ursa at seven, and then put them to bed at nine. Kana eats grapes, and Ursa eats apples. Remember?" Katara instructed her husband and brother, both slouching in front of her.

Zuko nodded rather indignantly. "I'm their father - of course I know that. Kana and Ursa don't even look alike."

Katara eyed him suspiciously. "No candy."

Zuko nodded. "No candy."  
"I'm here!" Toph called, high-heels clicking as she walked into the kitchen. "Sokka, Katara and I are going to be back around nine, although I don't really know how long the film goes."  
"What are you seeing, anyway? It better be okay for the baby…" Sokka reminded, indicating Toph's round stomach.

His wife grinned. "We're seeing _Ever After_. What you guys would call a chick-flick."

Sokka's nose wrinkled. "We're showing Jr. that kind of stuff?"

Toph smirked. "You know, Snoozles, for all _we_ know it's a girl." The raven-haired woman seized Katara's arm and dragged her out the door without so much as a 'See ya later!'

"Okay," Sokka said, turning to Zuko, "Where are the twin terrors?"

Zuko glared at his brother-in-law. "_Ursa and Kana _were in the kitchen, last time I saw them."

Sokka held up his arms in defense. "Okay, okay." He peeked in the kitchen, then turned to Zuko, frowning. "What are you talking about? They aren't in the kitchen at all."

"What?!?" Zuko yelped, sprinting into the empty kitchen. "If they aren't in here, then where _are_ they, Sokka? Katara's gonna kill me!"

Unsurprisingly, his companion seemed to brighten up at that comment.

"Not literally," Zuko snapped. "Now come on. I'll check upstairs, you check here."

Sokka nodded, then got down on his stomach and began to crawl into the living room. Zuko rolled his eyes, and then ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Ursa! Kana! Daddy needs to talk to you," he called, slowly walking through the long hall. Pausing, he opened the door to the laundry room. Empty. Kana and Ursa's room. Empty. The linen closet. Empty. Next, the bathroom….empty. "Oh, no," Zuko whispered suddenly, slowly turning to face his own room. "Now, Katara is _really_ gonna kill me…"

Heart beating faster and faster, Zuko reached out….and opened the door. "Ah! What have you _done_?" he yelped, immediately darting after Ursa, running around the room with a wet paint brush. "Paint is for paper, not walls!" His daughter merely laughed, smearing some paint on a portrait hanging on the wall. "That cost five hundred dollars!" Zuko yelled.

"Daddy?" Kana's voice caused Zuko to turn around. "Ursa and me played Egypt. I'm a mummy, and she's a royal wall painter." Indeed, Kana was wrapped in toilet paper, giving her the look of a mummy.

"Well, we appreciate the thought-" Zuko lunged after Ursa once more, barely missing grabbing her paint brush, "-but I think we like our room the way it is."

Ursa ran out the door, laughing, soon followed by Kana. Their father sprinted after them, wincing as the knocked down pictures, lamps, and tables. Ursa struggled up on the banister, then slid down, laughing wildly. Kana, on the other hand, began to slowly take the stairs step-by-step. Zuko scooped her up, eyes fixed on the other twin.

Ursa ran into the kitchen, pausing to grab a cookie. She crammed it into her mouth, eyes fixed on her father. Suddenly, Sokka walked into the kitchen.

"I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find-" suddenly, he noticed Zuko, desperately trying to hold Kana, and Ursa, chocolate smeared around her mouth. "Hey, you found them!" Good job, Zu-"

"Uncle Sokka!" his words were interrupted by Ursa's scream. The two year old tackled him, knocking him to the ground. Sokka's face broke into a grin.

"Nice to see you, too."

Zuko let Kana squirm away and jump on top of Sokka, too. Sighing, he walked up the stairs, to start cleaning.

When Katara and Toph got back, he and Sokka were gonna get hell.

And then some.

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Hehe. I like this one. Review! (Please) 


	14. Wrong

If you were to see Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and Lady Katara of the Water tribe while they were traveling with the avatar, you would have thought they hated each other. You would have thought they wanted each other dead. You would have though that there wasn't even the slightest chance that they would ever, ever, ever, _ever_ fall in love.

You would have been wrong.

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**Sorry it's short. I deleted the last two 'cause I didn't like them. Reviews? Please? (puppy dog face)**


	15. Thoughts

Katara thought she knew pain when she fell and scraped her knee.

But she didn't know pain. Not until her mother was killed.

Katara thought she knew hope when her father came home without any fish one night and she still believed everything would be okay.

But she didn't know hope. No until the Fire Nation attacked the North Pole.

Katara thought she knew helplessness when a leopard seal attacked her on the ice while she was weaponless.

But she didn't know helplessness. Not until she was first captured by Azula.

Katara thought she knew war when she and Sokka argued.

But she didn't know war. Not until the fight in the crystal caverns.

Katara thought she knew loss when her mother's necklace was incinerated by a Fire Nation soldier.

But she didn't know loss. Not until they found Toph lying dead outside camp.

Katara thought she knew love when Aang looked at her with gentle eyes.

But she didn't know love. Not until she first kissed Zuko.

Katara thought she knew sacrifice when she gave up her life, her emotions, her everything so she could focus on defeating the Fire Nation and nothing else.

But she didn't. Not until Katara gave Zuko up for the good of the world.

Katara thought she knew indecision when she had to choose between rice or noodles at the tea shop.

But she didn't. Not until she had to choose between saving Zuko or her own brother.

Katara thought she knew regret when she chose her lover over he family.

But she didn't. Not until she let Zuko slip away into death without Katara saying 'I love you.'

Katara thought she knew loneliness long ago, when she was the only Waterbender left in her tribe.

Then, Katara thought she knew loneliness when the only other girl in the group was killed.

Then, when she was the last of her family.

But Katara didn't know loneliness until she lost Zuko.

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All I can say is that it's kinda depressing. I don't like it, so I'll probably delete it if it deosn't get any reviews. 


	16. MiniseriesI: Pt 1: Sorry

He has never apologized before, never said those words. He's wanted to, but somehow always felt as though he would be losing something by admitting he was wrong. Now, she's walking away from him and he's getting desperate.

He's tried begging. He's tried pleading. Tried reasoning, stating the facts. He's tried everything. 'Everything' does not work.

So now, it's time to learn to face his mistakes. To look his wrongs in the eye. He has too.

Zuko has faced the Firelord, the Avatar, and his sister. He's been caught in the thick of battles and swam under the ice of the North Pole. He's done all these things and though he felt afraid.

That's nothing compared to this.

Zuko weighs the two one last time. He has to choose Katara or his pride. He makes the choice, and lets the words roll off his tongue.

_"I'm sorry."_

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Wow! A double update! Aren't you guys special? This is the first of a two-part. Next one is call 'Forgiveness.' It's Katara's POV. Reviews, anyone? 


	17. MiniseriesI: Pt2: Forgiveness

Katara has never said those words before. She never let them come out of her lips, roll off her tongue. She always felt that by forgiving she would be admitting what the perpetrator had did wasn't unforgivable. Thus indicating he could do it again.

Katara always thought apologizing was a on-way thing. But now, she realizes it has two parts. The apologizing part. And the forgiving part. Otherwise, nothing is ever truly healed.

She's tried saying 'Just don't do it again.' She's tried saying, 'Its okay, Zuko. I know you didn't mean it.' She has tried everything. 'Everything' does not work. He can see through her, and he's waiting for her to say those word. Waiting for her to forgive.

She weighs the two one last time. Her pride or Zuko. Katara makes the choice and let's the words roll off her tongue for the first time.

"_I forgive you._"

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I don't think I like this one as much as the Zuko one. Wow. A TRIPPLE UPDATE. I am so, so, so, nice, aren't I? Just kidding. Review, please! 


	18. Online Dating

Katara sat at the glowing screen of an old, worn computer. Her fingers paused above the keyboard as she scanned the small type on the website. _'Take this quiz to determine your perfect match at the Academy for the Performance of Martial Arts,'_ it read. _'You will be given the user name of your match and selected time and place to meet him/her.'_

Katara clicked on the 'Take the Quiz' button and examined the first set of questions.

_Which word describes you best?  
A: Beauty Queen_

_B: Rebel_

_C: Jock_

_Or_

_D: Brain_

Katara bit her lip, and after some thought ruled out Brain and Beauty Queen. Thinking about her reputation as not just a skilled Tai Chi practitioner but a champion swimmer, she chose Jock and clicked on 'Next.'

_You come to a fork in the road. You take:_

_A: The safest route_

_B: The road less traveled_

_C: The fastest route_

_Or_

_D: Turn back_

This one was easy. The teenager immediately chose _C: The fastest route_. She hadn't even finished the quiz yet, but still feeling excited about meeting her so-called 'Perfect Match.'

XX

Zuko fingers hovered above the keyboard of his new, state-of-the-art laptop. _'Find your perfect match,'_ the website read. _'Guaranteed a long-lasting relationship.'_ Zuko snorted. He certainly needed one of those. _What the heck,_ he though, _I'll take the quiz._

He ran through the quiz quickly. The only difficult question was:

_Your dream girl/boy is:_

_A: Dreamy and carefree_

_B: Down to earth and practical_

_C: Wild and mischievous_

_D: Strong and determined_

Eventually, Zuko chose D. Then, he clicked on 'Finish the quiz.'

X

Katara hurried through the crowded hallway, checking her watch every few seconds. What if she was late? Would her prefect match wait for her? Finally, she reached the lobby stairs. Stopping underneath them, she noticed a senior, Zuko, was there too. _Is he my perfect match?_ Katara immediately brushed the though away.

They must have waited there for an hour, checking there watches and occasionally nodding to each other. Finally, something clicked in Zuko's mind. He turned.

"Sugarqueen297?"

For a split second, Katara wondered why he knew her username. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened. "Fireboy8?"

The blurted out the next few words at exactly the same time.

"You're my perfect match?!?!"

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Ha ha. Zuko and Katara sure got a surprise there...I think this one is a good idea, but I don't like how I wrote it so much. What do you think? 


	19. MiniseriesII: Pt1: Fate

Fate. That's what she told herself. It was fate that made it happen. It didn't matter who she thought she loved best. It must be right, if fate was involved. Fate never got it wrong. That's what everyone said. What did it matter what _she _thought? Besides, how could she have said no when he asked? The desperate gleam in his eye was enough to soften her heart. That was enough, wasn't it? That he loved her. Even though she didn't love him back.

Katara had been secretly waiting for Zuko to burst in the whole time, a carved necklace in his hand. She had secretly wanted to be swept away to the Fire Nation, and live side by side as Firelord and Firelady. That's what she had wanted. But how many times had Katara heard that destiny did not care what she wanted? How many times?

Although if _she_ was Fate, she would look more into kisses. Zuko's kisses tasted like sweet red berries picked to early, when they were still tart. They were full of love and hope and pain. They made Katara realize there was a _person_ behind that scarred teenager.

But Aang's kisses were full of want and longing and unrequited love. They tasted like an apple left too long on the tree, all the sweetness that was once there gone out of it. Aang's kisses felt _wrong_.

Zuko's kisses were bittersweet.

But Aang's kisses were empty.

Katara heard the thud of rapid feet, and looked over to see Zuko burst in the room. She dreaded the words coming, the words that had to be spoken.

"Zuko, isn't it wonderful? Aang just proposed." Zuko's face crumpled into a mess of anger and regret, but the slightest sliver of hope. She knew the thought that must be running through his mind – _Did she refuse?_

Her lips parted to speak those words, those horrible words.

_"Aang and I are engaged."_

* * *

Ooo. Angsty. The next one is Zuzu's POV. Please, review, guys! 


	20. MiniseriesII: Pt2: Doubt

_"Aang and I are engaged."_

The world began to spin around him and soon Zuko could not distinguish one thing from another, but her words rang clear in his mind. The necklace in his hand clattered to the floor, the flowers seemed wilted and colorless instead of the bright red he had chosen them for. It took a great effort just to raise his head and look at Katara.

The forced smile on her face seemed to dim the room instead of brighten it. Zuko look into her eyes and saw the hesitancy and regret that lay there. _That's just it,_ he thought despairingly. _How could anyone else see that she doesn't really want this? _Katara was fully understood by no one but him.

Zuko wanted her to suddenly scream out that she wanted to marry him, come with him, but she remained silent. It was then Zuko knew that it was up to _her_ to say something. If she was not ready to leave Aang to come with him, she obviously did not care enough.

Pushing away all of his doubts, Zuko forced the words out of his throat.

_"That's great, Katara."_


	21. Silence

Um...just so you know, after this I am basically plum out of Zutara ideas.

So, 2 options:

A: Discontinue the drabble series.

B: Give me challenges.

C: try to come up with most likely awful Zutara drabbles.

I prefer B.

* * *

_"Will you marry me?"_

The silence is killing him. It's rushing through his soul, penetrating his heart, suffocating his brain. He's seen her, with Zuko. Seen her kiss him and hug him and…and love him. But he had to ask. Now, he has to know. No matter what the answer might be.

He sees himself in her. A once-child, who ran away from home in search of a better life, different choices. But he wonders if that's enough. He searches her eyes. They are full of pity, and sad determination. Aang is not sure which he hates more.

His heart races faster and faster, as she opens her mouth to speak. What will she say? Now, Aang begins to prefer silence.

"_No."_

Aang knows now that silence _is_, in fact, a sound. A terrible one.

Silence is the sound of refusal.

* * *

This is what COULD have happened two chapters before this. Ah, Katara, why are you so...compassionate? Review, please! 


	22. Oma and Shu

I just wanna apologize for not updating or doing any challenges. I hae found, coincedentally, that I have Zutara Writer's Block. I am going to try to complete all three challenges ASAP, but I can't make any promises. So...here is a snippet of one of Zuko and Katara's arguments.

* * *

"You know….you should have gotten carrots at the market. That's what Sokka told you to do. They'd go much, _much_ better with the fish then _Chile peppers_."

"Well….I'm sorry I didn't know that. I thought you'd _like_ Chile peppers. _I_ do."

"Oh, well that explains it."

"Explains _what_, exactly?"

"Well, it's only _obvious_ that anything _you_ like tastes horrible."

"Is not!"

"Obvious, you mean?"

"Yes! I mean….no!"

"Ha! You don't know what you _mean_. That's a sign of pure idiocy."

"It is _not_!"

"I'm filing for a divorce!"

"We're not even_ married_! You aren't _allowed_ to file for a divorce!"

"Are to!"

"Are not!"

"Are to!"

"Are _not_!"

"You're weird."

"You're stupid."

"You're ugly."

"HEY!"

"Hey, you know what?" Toph cut into their argument, obviously annoyed. "You two _are_ fighting like an old married couple. So maybe you were married in a past life, also meaning that _this_ time, you can skip the wedding!"

"Ha ha, very _funny_ Toph. Next thing, you'll be suggesting that our past lives were, in fact, Oma and Shu."

Katara didn't know how right she was.


	23. Wonder

I wanna apologize for the challenges, once again. I have found that they are much, MUCH harder then I htought they would be...

* * *

"Why?" he cries out desperately as he stares down at her, life flowing from her body like blood. "Why didn't you jump out of the way? You didn't have to die, Katara! You can't do this! You can't leave me alone like this!" 

She doesn't say anything, just smiles one of her sad smiles and shoots him a glance of tender love from those sky-blue eyes, the eyes he will never see again. His eyes are glued to her lips, waiting for her to mouth something, say _something_, anything.

Suddenly, he is struck by a horrible idea. He remembers seeing the arrow fly, the arrow he could have stopped, and somehow those words – 'could have' – make all the difference. "Could I have saved you?" Zuko whispers, his eyes not leaving the dart protruding from her chest for a moment.

She remains silent. "Could I have saved you?" he asks hoarsely; there is a certain urgency and desperateness in his voice that was not there before.

"_Could I have saved you_?" he is screaming and shaking her now, because he has to know, has to know the truth. But she doesn't answer him. Instead, blue eyes meet amber one last time. Katara gives one last twitch, and all is still.

Zuko is left to wonder alone.

* * *

So sad...Review, guys! 


	24. Girl Problems: Taang

"Okay, that's enough for today, Twinkle Toes. I have to admit it; your earthbending is actually improving." Toph commented after a long day of training as she flopped down on the ground.

"Thanks, Toph." Aang hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"

She looked up curiously. "Sure. Shoot."

"Well….I have this friend." Aang began, looking very nervous indeed.

"Okay. And?" the blind earthbender prompted.

"Well….he likes this girl." He went on, shooting a very scared glance at Toph, who visibly perked up at the mention of the words "like" and "girl."

"A lot?"

"Well, yeah. A lot." The airbender admitted.

"So? What did you want to ask?" Toph inquired.

"Well….he needs to know how to tell her that he likes her a whole lot and he wants to go out with her and well…..kiss her." Aang said, the words tumbling out of his mouth so fast that she could barely understand what he was saying.

"Oh, Aang!" Toph squealed, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks and a glowing grin illuminating her face.

Suddenly, the young avatar found himself being embraced by the twelve year old girl. He was, least to say, very confused as to _why_, exactly, he was being hugged so tightly.

Although, come to think of it, he really didn't mind.

* * *

Taanginess! Yay! Review, peeps! 


	25. Chocolate

"**M…chocolate.**" Zuko stood with his face pressed against the window, gazing almost lovingly at the box of cherry-centered chocolates on display. "It's been so long since I've had anything with sugar…" he muttered, checking to see if anyone else was around. "I mean, I'm sure they won't miss just _one box_…"

"You know, I think they will. You are so immoral!" Zuko let out a rather girlish shriek and whirled around to see Katara standing right behind him, glaring with her hands on her hips.

"But – you -" he stuttered, his face heating up. "I…I wasn't really going to steal it!"

"Sure you weren't," she snapped, giving the firebender a pinch on the wrist. "And don't you 'Ow!' me. You deserved that pinch, and you know it!"

Zuko glared at her. "You know, I was just going to take _one box_! And….and why don't you ever give us stuff with sugar?!?! Your….your de-sugarfying us!"

She snorted. "Like heck I am. Now come on, let's go get some melons."

He muttered something about being sick of melons, but a sharp glance from Katara quieted him. The waterbender dragged him into the center square, immediately heading over to the fruit cart. "Now stay there!" she called back to him.

Zuko grumbled under his breath and turned to examine a finely carved walking stick, proudly displayed by a young merchant. Suddenly, the square was filled with shrieks of "Thief!" and "Come back here!"

He whirled around, only to see Katara rushing toward him, a green melon in hand. "Come on!" she yelled, snatching his arm and jerking him into a dark alley.

Suddenly, something clicked. "So, who's the thief now, hm?" he asked smugly, trying to keep up with her sprinting.

Katara didn't answer. "Look! A door!" She ran towards a peeling door and began to push on it desperately. "Well! Don't just stand there! Help me!"

Zuko began to shove with all his might at the door; glancing back to see if anyone had seen them yet.

"**Push harder!**" Katara growled, her hair slipping into her eyes.

"Wait, is it just me or does that sign say 'Pull?'" Zuko gave the door handle a hard yank, and the entrance immediately came open, revealing the back of a rather dreary looking shop.

"Get in!" Katara hissed, shoving the Firebender in front of her. He rushed inside, pausing to look around the shop.

"So," Zuko began, turning to his companion with an incredibly smug look on his face, "Who's the immoral one _now_?"

She shot an icy glare at him. "Oh, come on! It's for Aang! If they'd known we were friends with the avatar...and besides, one day we'll probably save them from some freakishly large and rare animal! Like...like some sort of bear! Then they'll be happy to give us melons, all the melons we want, won't they?"

He gave her a strange look. "Okay...I guess I see your point with the whole avatar thing, but I do have one question - **what the hells a bear?**"

* * *

Okay..."Push harder" is not excactly in the middle, but that was the best I could do. I'm not sure...does this count as Zutara? They're both in there, that's for sure...R&R! 


	26. Running

"Help!"

_Zuko is walking through the crowded market, searching for Katara. He turns his head, beginning to worry himself with thoughts of Azula and Fire Nation soldiers. He hears a shout, a cry for help, and he looks up because he thinks he might recognize that voice._

"What happened here?!?"

_Zuko hears shouting and worried voices and his stomach seems to twist into a knot. His heart is beating faster and faster and faster. He begins to head to where the yelling is coming from, and the crowd seems to part for him almost as if there afraid what he might do if he finds out. Now, Zuko is scared._

"Someone, get the doctor!"

_He begins to push and shove through the crowd, desperate to see what wrong. Because now, Zuko has to find out that what he's beginning to think is not true. He has to know it's someone else. He has to know it's not her._

"Is she-?"

_Zuko finally breaks through the people clustered around a fallen body and a pool of blood. He begins to get dizzy, and the world starts to spin. This has to be a dream. It has to, because he's realizing that he recognizes her. There's the bracelet Aang made for her last month, her mothers necklace, the scar on her right hand -_

"She - she's gone."

_Zuko hears the chocked voices and he doesn't want to believe them. He doesn't want to believe them so much it hurts, but deep down he knows that it's true. Suddenly, his world begins to feel so weak and fragile he's afraid it will collapse. Zuko knows he has to get himself out of there, get _her_ out of there._

"Hey – what do you think you're doing?!?"

_Zuko hears the people protest, but he doesn't care. He scoops up her limp body into his arms. It's painful to see her like this, a lifeless shell of what she once was. He can't stand her pale blue eyes staring blankly at the sky. He can't stand the fact that she isn't waking up. That she's _never_ going to wake up. So he starts to run. He tries to tell himself that he's running _to_ something, not away._

_But he is. He's running away from everything he's ever known._

_Running from life._

_Running from reality._

_Running from Katara._


	27. Wrath

The elements seemed to be punishing him. Zuko could feel it – the mud on his boots (bits of earth, bits of the young earthbender now gone, mixing with the blood on his hand), the wind (he could sense the air's, the now-dead avatar's scorn, mocking him in every way possible) whipping his hair out of its topknot and around his shoulders. The rain was worst of all - falling harder, harder that night, teasing him, taunting him. He could feel _her_ there; feel her presence in the darkened clouds and angry sky and strong gust of wind that forcibly reminded him of that last battle.

Zuko did not turn back. He struggled up the hill, resisting the overwhelming fury the storm had unleashed upon him. It seemed that all at once he was at the top, the once-breathtaking view now sending waves of nauseous through him. The cliff was tall and strong. He took a deep breath, and then reached into his pocket, withdrawing two objects - a blue oni mask, and a pale blue necklace.

Zuko turned to face the ocean, a single ray of moonlight breaking through the clouds and illuminating his figure, giving him the appearance of a ghost. The feeling was only intensified by the unearthly gleam in his eyes; the barred teeth; the hair flying in the wind almost with a life of its own.

He raised the mask and the necklace high above his head, and lightning cut across the sky. "Take it! Take it all! Take back the mask – I don't want to be like that anymore – half one world, half another. And take then necklace, too – it was for you! It's yours, it's all yours - the mask that I used to hide from you, the necklace that I made for you. I tell you, I did not mean for it to happen like this. _I did not betray you._ Please, take it all. _Take it_!" By the end he was screaming, yelling with all his might, pouring every emotion possible into those last words.

Zuko released his grip on the two objects, the two remnants of his past that had to be returned to their rightful owners. His eyes followed the mask as it was taken by the wind; the necklace as it sank into the blackened waters. He closed his eyes, ready for judgment.

Suddenly, everything was still. The wind was calmed, the earth seemed to dry up, the rain lightened to a soft drizzle. For the first time in a long time, a smile, however sad and full of pain, graced his lips.

Looking up to see the clouds clear and the stars come into view, Zuko turned around and began the journey back down the hill. There was no need to worry, no need for troubled dreams, no need to wonder what they would say if they had the chance.

For once, Zuko could be reassured that all was forgiven.


	28. Teammates

"You don't have to leave," she whispers, leaning on the doorway with her hair spilling around her shoulders. "In fact, I'd prefer you to stay."

"I can't," he says softly as he takes a step away from her. "Katara...I have to go. My father will be mad."

To his surprise, she smiles. "Since when have we ever listened to her parents?" She takes a step closer to him, resting her one hand on his chest and letting the other drift across his scar.

A shiver runs down his spine. "'Tara…" he whispers. He wants to tell her, _I can't do this, I just can't_ or _It just wouldn't work out_ but both would be lies, so he settles for, "I just…don't know….I...just can't explain how I feel about all this…about _you_…"

"Shhh," she murmurs, her finger resting tenderly on his lips. "Don't tell me how you feel, _show_ me how you feel."

"'Tara…" Zuko said weakly, almost as a last protest.

The corners of her lips turned up. "_Show_ me."

Gazing into her eyes, Zuko suddenly leaned forward, pressing his mouth against hers. The kiss was sweet like freshly picked red apples on a summer day; tart like small, crimson berries, not quite right for picking but still part of the experience.

Suddenly, he pulled away. "Katara…" he said in a low undertone. "I…"  
Sighing, she said, "You still don't get it, do you? I love you….you say you love me…there are obstacles in the way, but who cares? We can defeat them all, as long as we're together."

Placing a soft kiss on his lips, Katara smiled, "Haven't you figured it out by now? We're teammates…" Zuko took in a sharp breath, his eyes never leaving hers. But Katara had one last thing to add:

"We're teammates,

…

…

and nothing can ever changed that."

* * *

Awwwwwwwwww...I like this one...it's so sweet...by the way, it's AU, if you couldn't tell. 


	29. Safe

"I'm not sure," she says hesitantly, casting a look back at the sky bison curled up in a distance. "They need me." Her voice lowers to a whisper. "And don't ever tell Sokka this, but I need them, much, much more then they will ever know."

"Don't worry." He reaches his hand out to her, a tender look in his eyes that she has not seen before. "You're safe with me."

* * *

YAY!!! FLUFF!!! Okay, yeah, short, but... 

I like it.

Also - should I post all these sad drabbles I've written recently and get it over with, or try to write a fluffy/happy one?  
By 'sad', I that they all include either Mai or death. Both depressing prospects, I know...

So? What should I do?


	30. Dance

"Dance?" he asks, staring at her. "With _you_?"

Katara folds her arms and tries to look offended. "What's wrong with dancing with me?"

"Nothing, nothing," Zuko replies, shaking his head, a hint of a smile on his face. "I assume you know how to waltz?"

She shakes her head guitily, and suggests, "Maybe you could teach me?"

Zuko shrugs. "I guess...but it might take a while."

He loops his arm through hers as they walk together onto the dance for, and tries not to look pleased.

* * *

Aw...you can just see it happening. 

I think I am going to do some Blutara pieces...and, I was wondering...would anyone like it if I did some Taang drabbles, too? And maybe Ty Lokka? Jai? Harula? I dunno...but I am taking requests for different pairings. ALL pairings. Even crack pairings. Even Jetzula.

Even _Kataang_.

So if you want to see your favorite Crack pairing put into a drabble, now is your chance...

P.S. Pink Illusion, you told me to try writing something I hated. Well...check in the next few days. You MIGHT just see a new drabble series that I MIGHT continue (if its popular) that just MIGHT be featuring a pairing known as Taang...


	31. Under the Cherry Blossoms: Ty Luko

"Mai likes me, doesn't she," Zuko had stated in a bored drawl on one of those hot summer days as he sat under the cherry blossom tree with Ty Lee.

The pink-loving acrobat turned to him, a mischievous look on her face.

"She's not the only one," she said, and kissed him.

* * *

Short, I know...and possibly sucky. 

I thought about the Taang drabble series...and I kinda decided not to do it. It probably wouldn't be all that popular - I mean, I'm no ohsoxalive. My drabbles are, lets face it, average.

I just happened to have been very lucky with all my wonderful, awesome, amazing readers. Really, thanks for taking the time to review. 'Cause your awesome for it.

P.S. - WOW. A _DOUBLE UPDATE_. I haven't done that since July. It's my Labor Day gift to you. I PROMISE I will update every single day, possibly double. I am also taking requests till Monday, all pairings included. This is the first of them. And, seeing as I don't get many requests, possibly the last. Take advantage while you can!

...Why are my after notes longer than the actual drabble?


	32. Truth or Dare: Taang

"Truth or dare?"

"Huh?" Aang jerked his head up at Sokka's question, Momo scurrying from his shoulder and leaping onto Appa, chattering furiously all the while.

"Truth or dare?" the Water Tribe warrior asked again, irritation tingeing his voice. "Like, if you say 'truth', I ask a question, and you can't lie when you answer. And if you say 'dare,' I get to dare you to do something."

"Why are we doing this again?" the newly fifteen avatar asked, sighing. "I should be resting – we're going to be arriving in the Fire Nation soon, anyway. If we get tired, we might be late for the wedding."

"Don't remind me," Sokka muttered darkly, earning a sharp glance form Suki. "Just answer the question," he said, more loudly this time. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Aang said, feeling very foolish playing this childish game.

"I dare you to kiss Momo," Sokka replied immediately, a smug smirk creeping up his face.

"Okay," Aang shrugged, reaching for the lemur and planting a kiss on its snout, evoking a sharp squeak of protest from his flying pet. Laughing as Momo flew away, wiping his nose of on his fur and glaring at the young airbender indignantly, he asked, "Okay, whose turn is it now?"

"Mine!" Toph's voice sounded from the trees, and all three surprised teens turned around to see her walking towards camp, bag of nuts in hand. "Truth or dare, Sokka?"

"Truth," he responded, a sulky note in his voice – Aang's dare had obviously gone too well for his liking.

"Have you ever thought about sex, and not just with Suki?" the earthbender asked innocently, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

Turning a deep shade of red, Sokka replied stoutly, "Yes, yes I have."

His fiancé turned to him, a look of surprise on her face. "Really?"

Shifting uncomfortably, he replied, "I'm eighteen, all right? Yes, I've had a few dirty thoughts. Now it's Suki's turn, okay?"

Looking at him amusedly, obviously nonchalant about his reply, Suki turned to Aang and inquired, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he answered absently, hands behind his head.

"I dare you….to hug Toph," she grinned.

"Okay," he replied, making a not-so-great attempt at sounding indifferent. Walking up slowly to her, Aang embraced the earthbender tightly, trying to ignore her reddened cheeks and the awkwardly fast beat of his heart.

Pulling away he turned to Sokka and asked, "Now, Sokka what was the name of that Princess at the North Pole?"

Turning, sputtering, to a confused Suki, Aang was glad Sokka had gone along well with his change of subject. Yet he couldn't help the way his eyes lingered on Toph milky white skin and sea foam green eyes.

XXX

As Aang stumbled into camp later that night, just returned from doing his business, he was just about to crawl back into his sleeping hag when he noticed a shadowy figure sitting down on the log where he had rested the previous evening.

"Sokka?" he whispered confusedly.

"No," the figure replied, stepping out of the shadows to reveal her identity.

"Toph," he asked, his heart beating faster and faster, "What are you doing out here?"

Taking a step closer to him so that there noses were only a few inches apart, she replied deftly, "Kiss me."

"What?" Aang exclaimed, eyes going wide. Why was she acting like this?

"I said, kiss me," she repeated.

"Kiss you?" he asked weakly. "But –"

"It's my turn, you know," the bind earthbender interrupted.

"Huh?" Aang's brow furrowed in cofusion.

"It's my turn."

"The game? But that was just -"

"Kiss me," she said for the third time, leaning the tiniest bit closer so that their noses brushed.

Aang stared at her, lost for words. _Is she saying what I think she's saying?_

And it was true, Toph had never seemed sexier than when she leaned forward, her lips brushing his ear, and murmured three words he would never forget:

_"I dare you."_

_

* * *

_

Heh heh. Thought I should do some of Toph being sexy. I like this one alot, but I'm wondering a to how good it actually is.

I am DEFINETLY doing a double update today. Possibly a triple...

And requests are still open!!! Keep 'em coming!


	33. Far From Home: Tyru

Haru could not honestly say he left his village much. There was the occasional hike in the woods, back when he had to hide his Earthbending, and then there were the times he had gotten lost and spent the night.

But, in all, Haru had spent, maybe, oh, twenty four hours away from his village. In total. Including being captured by the Fire Nation. So he didn't get out much at all, really.

Which was absolutely no help as to why he was here, in the circus, about a thousand miles away from his mother and everything he'd every known.

_Why did I come here again?_ He wondered as his eyes flew to the pink acrobat walking on the tightrope above him. Haru felt a familiar happy jolt in his stomach, and felt his cheeks heat up as Ty Lee blew him a kiss, and suddenly he was fallen under her spell, fallen into the game of oddly hypnotizing dances and warm grey eyes that never lost their sparkle.

Giving up on pretending he didn't see her, Haru waved back, but he couldn't keep a goofy grin from spreading across his face.

_Oh yeah...that's why._

_

* * *

_

Ah, lovesick Haru...I love this pairing so much, it's scary. Let's see, now I have Sukka, Jetzula, Ty Lokka, and Kataang to go. Yes, Zutarians, KATAAG. Joehalo or whoever asked me to write one. I mean, I'm better at Zutara drabbles, for sure, but I am writing a Kataang fanfic (_An Endless Stretch of Sky_). I think it's my best out of all of them. It's pretty popular.

So...anymore Crack requests? Harula? Jai? I am DYING to write one or the other, but only if someone asks me to.

...review? please?


	34. Understandingly Untrustful: Harula

"So, let me get this straight – you can't tell me your real name because you don't think I'll trust you if I find out who you really are?" Haru says at last after a long silence that caused Azula to shift uncomfortably multiple times.

"Yes," she replied stiffly. "You wouldn't understand, peasant."

"Peasant?" he raised an eyebrow. "Wow, so you've dropped the whole 'wanna-be pretty boy' thing. I think that's a step up, don't you?"

Grinding her teeth, Azula replied, "Your name is _Haru_."

Smiling slightly, he commented, "So you've finally caught on."  
"Like I said," the Fire Princess hissed, backing away from him, "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh really?" her heart nearly stopped when Haru reached out to grab her hand, and Azula looked up at him, the smallest hint of a smile on his face. "Try me."

* * *

Yay! Harula! I tried to make Azula as in-character as possible...

I think I'll do either Jetzula, Sukka, or Kataang next.


	35. Colors: Ty Lokka

When Sokka was a young boy, his favorite color had always been red. It was only natural; there was so much _blue_ around him the naturally he would want the opposite. Sokka would always pray, late at night, for the spirits to send him just one day of _red_; just one day of crimson filling his gaze and overflowing his world.

Then, of course, the Fire Nation attacked – a day of _red_; a day of _blood_. Sokka, being the young boy he was, was often consumed by the terror that he had brought along the attack just by wishing for red.

So, obviously, red was no longer his favorite color.

Then, it was _white_. White was the color of _nothing_, the color of a painless and emotionless existence, the color of ignorance. It seemed all Sokka needed was to escape all of the anger and grief and fear around him, and the only way out of that was not to feel _anything_.

But the day that Katara came up and asked, truly puzzled, why he had stopped smiling, everything was thrown into a strange and shocking new light, a light where he _had_ to feel – to feel for his sister, if no one else.

The day Sokka first met Suki was they day it changed to gold. Gold, the color of her fans and her thread and her head piece. Gold, the color of the sun and the stars and light.

Gold, it seemed, lasted for quite a while.

Gold (and Suki with it) disappeared from the moment he set his eyes on Yue. _He_ certainly wouldn't have chosen blue, but, what the heck – she looked great in it. Blue was her eyes, blue were Sokka's eyes. It seemed that the spirits themselves had arranged for Sokka and Yue to live forever in a land of blue.

Least to say, that didn't turn out so well.

After blue came green. Green _was_ one of the only colors left, and Sokka couldn't help feeling that if he loved nature and the world, green came along with it. It seemed to brighten his day when desolate thoughts of death and defeat penetrated his mind, and remind him that not all was bad.

Aang never could get why Sokka didn't feel this way about yellow, but the Water Tribe warrior stoutly refused anything so…._obnoxious_.

Green was meant to last forever, or so it seemed.

But then _she_ came.

She was flexible, acrobatic, and bouncy; cheerful, optimistic, and mischievous.

In other words, everything he didn't like about Aang.

Miraculously, though, somehow, all of these characteristics were fine when they belonged to Ty Lee.

But no one could have been more surprised than Sokka when his favorite color suddenly became, of all things, _pink_.

* * *

Ah, Ty Lokka...I love this pairing. I think this is one of my best drabbles. 


	36. Lucky: Kataang

"Okay…so, let me get this straight – Katara wants _me _- possibly the lamest choice out of everyone – to go to the Firelord Zuko's ball with _her_, the most beautiful girl here?" Aang asked slowly, staring bug-eyed at Sokka.

"Yes, yes she does – it's your lucky day, isn't it?" the Water Tribe warrior replied. "Now, will you _please_ put on these dress robes?"

Grinning as he slipped into the yellow and red outfit, Aang asked once more, "You're sure this isn't a joke?"

"I'm sure Aang," Sokka replied. "Now get out there – everyone's waiting for you." Shoving the airbender out the door and into a long passage way, he called, "Ballroom is the third door on the left!"

Slowly walking down the hall, Aang couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face. He could hardly contain the bubbly happiness inside of him – he was going to dance! With Katara!

Punching his fist in the air, he took a deep breath before he made his way into the ballroom.

Lucky day indeed.

* * *

Oh my god. I put a KATAANG drabble in a ZUTARA drabble series. 

Oh my god. There has to be some sort of shipping law against that, but whatever...

This one's for you, joehalo. I bet all my fellow Zutaraians will be mad...

Aw, heck with it.


	37. All in a Name: Jai

Wow! Another double update. To repay you for the Kataang one...

Disclaimer: ...does my Appa plushie count?

* * *

"Who are you?" Mai asked suspiciously, a dagger clutched in one hand as he eyes flew to the brown-haired boy standing before her.

He didn't answer, instead straightening up and brushings off his hands casually. "What are you doing out here? Ba Sing Se at night isn't exactly _safe_ at night, you know."

"I know," she replied evenly, eyeing him as if he were a but an obstacle to be overtaken. "What were _you_ doing sprawled out on the ground like that, hm? Did someone knock you down, or what?"

Grunting, he answered, "I just...ran into someone I didn't like."

Raising an eyebrow, Mai commented, "You're a strange one, aren't you?"

"Perhaps," he replied grudgingly. "You're not so normal yourself." Digging around in his pocket for something, he barely had a chance to get a word out before he was pinned to the wall by the way of her knives. "Wow," he grinned, a note of admiration in his voice, "You're good with those knives, aren't you? Didn't even draw blood."

"They're not _supposed _too," Mai took a step closer, eyes glowing suspiciously. "What were you going to take out?"  
"I...was going to show you a map of the city...see if you could meet me here again...or is you know how to get back," the Earth Kingdom teen answered carefully. "You're..._interesting_, which is more then I can say for most people around here."

"I agree completely," she muttered, glancing up at the starry sky, now beginning to brighten with the lights of dawn. "So...tommorrow? Let's say, oh, around moonrise?"

"Great," he smiled. "Goodbye...err -"

"Mai," she interrupted. "My name is Mai."

Nodding, he added, "Goodbye, Mai. Till tommorrow - or should a say, tonight," he corrected, glancing up at the rising sun in the distance.

As he disapeared into the alley where she had found him, Mai couldn't resist calling out, "What _is_ your name, anyway?"

Pausing for a moment and looking at her over his shoulder, he said softly, "I go by a lot of names."

Mai frowned. _How can I trust him if he doesn't even answer this one question?_ Her eyes meeting his, she suddenly saw that he wasn't finished yet.

"...But you can call me Jet."

* * *

Yay! Jai-ness! To make is clear, this is kind of an alternate thing. Like, if Jet had lived, what could've happened. 


	38. Last Stand: Jetzula

"So, Fire Princess, huh?" Jet half snarled as he ducked a blast of fire from Azula. "Pretty _impressive_, don't you think?"

"You're not too bad yourself, _Freedom Fighter_," Azula panted, eyes glittering as she ducked a punch. "But I don't think you have much longer, do you?"  
"Maybe I don't," Jet spat, leaping away from a blue-glowing fire blast. "But at least I can take you with me."

"Ha," she sneered back at him, raking her long red nails across his cheek and smiling maliciously when he winced. "You think that _you_, a mere peasant, could kill _me_, the princess of the Fire Nation?"

"That's exactly what I think," Jet growled, eyes narrowed in hate. Withdrawing an dagger from his cloak, he let it fly at Azula with an icy accuracy.

Her cruel smile disapeared as she ducked the knife. "I see you've been paying close attention to my friend Mai. You'll be happy to know that she's dead."

For a moment, Jet froze, eyes wide. "Dead?" he whispered.

"I executed her," Azula explained, sadness flickering across her face for a fraction of a moment before her expression turned to one of malevolency. "Seems she had _betrayed_ us. Something about going out of her way to meet an _Earth Kingdom_ _boy_..."

A look of twisted grief and anger passed across Jet's face let one of his hooked swords slice through the air, catching Azula's wrist and drawing blood. "You'll pay."

"Oh really?" Azula smirked as she pounced on top of him, her hot breath searing his cheek. "Goodbye, peasent," she whispered, eyes gleaming as she plunged an ice-cold dagger into his chest. Drawing back, she smirked as Jet gave one last twitch, his eyes glazing over and blood trickling out of his mouth.

"Shame," Azula said, half to herself and half to the now dead Freedom Fighter before her, "He was a cute one, too."

* * *

Does this count as Jetzula? It goes into the last one...ah, it's so SAD. Two completely awesome ships, both ruined by Long Feng and his scheming... 


	39. In Retrospect: ZUTARA HAS RETURNED!

"I can't believe it," Zuko choked, staring down at the lifeless body before him. "I…I killed her. I killed my _sister_."

"Some sister she was," Sokka muttered, kicking dirt over Azula's corpse. "Nice touch back there, by the way. Blue lightning – Iroh taught you, I presume?"

Face saddening at the mention of his now-executed uncle, Zuko replied sadly, "Yeah, yeah he did."

"Zuko? Sokka?" Both boys turned around at Katara's tentative call. The waterbender's eyes widened as she saw a bloodied and limp Azula crumpled on the forest floor. "Did you…?" she asked in hushed tones, looking up at Zuko.

"Yes," he replied quietly, and was repayed be a tight embrace from Katara. As she began to pull away from him, Zuko suddenly whispered, "Wait." Grasping her head in his hands, he pulled Katara to him. Their lips brushed, and suddenly he was kissing Katara like he never had before; it was amazing, it was electrifying, it was satisfying, it was _tempting_, and he only was half realizing her brother was right there until –

"Oi!" Sokka protested after a moment, obviously. "Save it for the honeymoon, Zuko," he warned, "When I'm not around."

Ignoring his future brother in law, Zuko kissed Katara again.

In retrospect, he probably should have listened.

It had made for a few _very_ interesting family reunions.

* * *

Oh, I just _have_ to write a 'Family Reunion' drabble...Since daydreamkid12 wanted me to get back to Zutara but since I still haven't posted the JinXSokka (yes, I actually did write one) or Sukka yet, I'm going to do something like post 5-10 Zutara drabbles, then post an alternate pairing. I'm not sure how long this will keep going, though...I guess as long as people keep giving me requests. 

To Tiger-Cub684: ...Uni student? No, I'm not quite that old yet, lol. In fact, I'm probably a tad bit younger than you think I am...how old _do_ you think I am?


	40. Relaxation

I just read a very IN-DEPTH review for The Awakening on Animation Insider. I have been RUINED. RUINED, I tell you RUINED! Hem. Sorry for the melodramatics...but it's true. It spoiled me so, so badly...and the guy reviewing didn't even LIKE it! And guess what - HE was the one who came out with the review for The Secret of the Fire Nation a month in advanced. That's right, HE DID IT! So if you've been spoiled before, BEWARE ANIMATION INSIDER!!!!!!!!  
...I do believe that was the strangest author's note I've ever written...ON WITH THE ZUTARA!

* * *

"Zuko, are you sure about this?" Katara asked suspiciously as she dipped her hands into the whitened cream. "I really don't see any rash there."

"But it _itches_," the firebender replied quickly. "And Uncle said the lotion would work," he lied through his teeth, praying to the spirits that she believed him.

"Okay," Katara said, still sounding doubtful but beginning to rub the cream into Zuko's bare back. No one could deny that he didn't have an awesome tan.

Sighing contentedly as the lotion-that-wasn't soaked into his skin, Zuko added, "You have to massage it in, or it won't work."

He was surprise when the Waterbender obliged without a complaint, and closed his eyes to enjoy the full effect.

_A free massage_, he thought, smiling to himself. _I never used to like them before, but now, it just so…relaxing._

Of course, it might have helped that Katara was the one giving it.

* * *

Oh, you bad boy, Zuzu... Sorry I haven't done the 'Family Reunion' one yet - still working on it. But I'll have it up in the next few days, don't worry. Sokka/Zuko rivalry is yet to come...I've been reading 'Til Death Do We Part' for the fith time. I forgot how much I loved it...If you haven't read it, GO RIGHT NOW. Abondoned the crap that is this 'story' and go read something written by the god of wedding drabbles...Vicki So. 


	41. Family: Blutara

"You have to be getting back to your home, wherever it is," he tells her as her soft, brown hands drift to rest on his mask.

"The sky is my roof, the earth is my floor, the water is my protector, and the fire is my warmth," she replies. "I _am_ home."

"But you must have a family, somewhere" he insists, already dreading the moment when she will want to remove the cover of the laughing azure demon mask from his face. "A family is part of a home."

She beams at him, a lock of dark hair falling across her forehead. "Then it's settled."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asks, running after her as she suddenly takes off, only to begin sifting through his belonging with an air of interest. "Who, exactly, is your family here?"

She looks up briefly at him, and something on her face that makes him suddenly wonder if she _does_ know who he is. Katara (how _did_ he find out her name?) lets a slow smile illuminate her face as she opens her mouth to give a _very_ surprised Zuko her reply.

"You are."

* * *

I put up a Zutara oneshot called 'Home is Where the Heart Is' last night - did anyone see it? It was kinda to make up for the Maiko oneshot I did, 'Time and Time Again'. I really like this drabble...In fact, I love Blutara in general. Hm...should I put up the Sukka or Jinkka drabble first???? 


	42. After the Storm: Jinkka

"So…you're name is Jin?" Sokka began in what he hoped was a casual voice as he leaned back on the doorframe of the near-empty tea shop.

"Yes," the green clad girl sniffed, blowing her nose loudly in her handkerchief. "I…I went out on a date with Li – well, you said he was Zuko, didn't you? But then he left. And now…he's in trouble." Jin's voice became wobbly and she sounded as though she thought the end of the world was just around the corner.

"Yeah, you could say that," Sokka replied evenly, shifting uncomfortably and glancing helplessly at a confused Katara nearby as Jin burst out crying.

"I – I just don't know – how I can handle this," she sobbed, her handkerchief going to her eyes. "I – I like him a lot, you know?" Jin hiccupped, obviously trying to get a grip on herself.

"We just need to know some things about Zuko," Sokka comforted soothingly, wrapping his arms around Jin comfortingly. "It's okay to cry," he added, silently wondering how the hell anyone could make such a fuss about Zuko.

The crying slowly came to a stop as Jin looked up at Sokka, her eyes scrunched up. "Will – will you tell me who Zuko really is? Please?"

"Yes, of course," the Water Tribe warrior answered immediately. "Will go get some lunch right away; talk about it then."

Beaming up at him, Jin led a pleased Sokka ("Oh, but you're _much_ cuter than Li ever was"), a horrified Katara ("Oh, you must be his girlfriend!"), a rather emabarrassed Aang ("What _is_ that on his head?"), and a disgruntled Toph ("Blind? Really?") to the diner down the road, chatting happily all the while to her new favorite boy in the city.

No one could really say they were surprised when Jin and Sokka left the tea shop holding hands.

* * *

Someone requested JinXSokka, and here it is. 

This was really wierd to write. It's like, if the Gaang went back to Ba Sing Se to discover more about Zuko, and ran into Jin on the way...


	43. Memory: Sukka

"Sokka! Sokka, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Suki's voice was choked as she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "I thought….I though I would never see you again," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Suki," Sokka murmured, returning the embrace. "I've missed you so much…"

Taking her head in his hands, he pulled her closer, and just as their lips were about to meet –

Sokka woke up. "Suki?" he muttered, half expecting the Kyoshi Warrior to answer him. "Where is she, anyway?" he asked himself.

Closing his eyes, Sokka suddenly recalled a stolen dress and a burnt golden fan lying on the forest floor.

That's when he remembered.

* * *

Poor, poor Sokka...I feel so bad for him and Suki...Someone else requested Sukka or Tokka, and since I love Tokka as well as Sukka, you are going to get both! Lucy you : )! I'm sorry that they aren't married in this one, but I really and truly believe Suki did not survive the battle with Azula...and I love Tokka so much, it's hard to write anything else. I hope you don't mind. 

And if anyone else has last minute requests, your welcome to submit them.


	44. Risky Business: Tokka

"Be quiet," were the first words that came out of Sokka's mouth as he stepped in front of Toph, covered head to toe in garbage.

Picking a banana peel off his shoulder, she asked, raising an eyebrow, "Bananas? You're own little touch, I presume? My parents will not be happy washing these clothers - and it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't bet on the Boulder, _again_. You've lost for the fifteenth time, I might add. You have a gambling problem."

"If you had only thrown the matched -" Sokka began wistfully.

"Never - how backwards would that be?" Toph interrupted, smirking. "Besides, it's too much fun seeing you make stupid little bets when you have no money on you in the first place."

"Huh," Sokka muttered, ringing anchovie juiced out of his hair, "So that's why you did it."  
"Just remember, Snoozles, I'm always here for you."

"Really?" Sokka looked up, smiling slightly.

"No," Toph simpered back.

There was a long pause. "Bet he'll beat you next time."

"Ah, so the little gambler comes crying back to his master once more. It'll cost you, Snoozles...and this time, I won't go as easy on you - it is way too easy to jump into a pile of garbage that, I might add, I got for you in the first place."  
"Next time, I'll ship in the Unagi myself." Sokka winced to himself, trying not to flinch in the face of the Blind Bandit's bone-chilling leer.

Toph clasped his arm and grinned.

"You're on."

* * *

You gotta love that Tokka...Just to make things clear, Sokka was betting with Toph on the Boulder, while she betted on herself, obviously.

You can just see it happening...


	45. Lessons in Romance

"What are you reading? You weren't paying attention to me all through lunch," Zuko complained as he caught up with Katara, back pack slung over one shoulder and a half-empty soda in his right hand.

"Oh," Katara started, looking up from the book in her hands with a trace of a dreamy look on her face. "_Romeo and Juliet_, by Shaksepeare. It's a very good read...really romantic."

"Huh," he replied, shifting his backpack to his other shoulder and tossing the can at a metal trash can as they passed it. "Score!"

"Now who isn't listening?" Katara asked absently, already absorbed in the book once more.

"If it's so good, maybe I should read it," Zuko commented, rolling his eyes.

"That's a great idea!" his friend exclaimed. "I have another copy in my backpack," Katara told him, already pawing through her belongings.

"I wasn't really serious," Zuko whined as she placed the book in his hand, already leafing through the pages in her book to find where'd she'd left off.

"You should read it anyway," she muttered, glancing up. "Oh, here's my street - gotta go." Just as she was stepping off the side walk and into the empty street, she called back to him, "If Jet was ever _that_ romantic with me, we'd already be married. And if some other guy was that romantic...I'd dump dumb old Jet in a second."

For a moment, Zuko just stared after her.

Then, scrambling for the book, he plopped down on the curb and started reading.

* * *

I just thought that ol' Zuzu could use some lessons in romance...and who's better for the job than Shakespeare himself? 

Teehee. I like writing this one.


	46. Truth

_"Who are you?"_

It had not been an expected question; Zuko had just saved her and he had not expected to be interrogated without at least a 'thank you' first. Zuko looked at her, confused, and was surprised to see scorn and anger in her eyes. His broad swords suddenly seemed heavy and awkward; his mask foolish and unwanted; his silence suspicious and stupid.

The Blue Spirit stared at her for a moment. He could tell the girl wanted an answer, and she would stay until she got one.

_"A friend."_ Because it was true.

(_Or that was what he'd thought at the time, but looking back it had been a chance to play hero and nothing more. So he fled cloaked in the lie he had just told, and only the forest was left to see a sneer curl on her lips._)

**x**

_"Who are you?"_

The second time she asked had been no accident; she had found Zuko standing over his sister's body, blood trickling out of Azula's mouth and onto the ground.

Katara had convulsed and retched (_he remembered her snarling at one of their enemies, once 'That I don't kill can only make me stronger'_), looking up at him with eyes full of pain and choking out her question one more time. Zuko had stood their, dumbstruck, because he had no answer and because he would have thought she would have made an exception for _Azula_, of all people.

So he had answered, _"A friend."_ Because, after all, he had just saved her life and everyone else's.

(_But she had looked at him incredulously, her eyes full of pain and betrayal, and Zuko had known that once more, he had lied._)

**x**

_"Who are you?"_

The third and final time was not meant as an insult, but it stung Zuko like a paper cut as Katara looked at him, the carefully carved necklace resting in her hand and all seriousness in her eyes as she met his amber gaze.

It was a question she had to ask and he needed to answer, and so for a long moment of silence as he searched for words to tell her.

_"A friend."_ Because he had always answered that before and, really, there was nothing else to say.

(_There is a moment of horrible, horrible anticipation as she looks at him calmly, but everything is resolved in the single moment when Katara smiles and leans forward, her lips meeting his._)

Because this time, it was the truth.

* * *

I like writing this - fluff, angst, death, Blutara, and italics all in one drabble.

And AvatarKiba1001 - when I get the chance, I will write a hot fire/water makeout scenes when I get the chance. Hopefully my horrible kiss-scene writing won't mentally scare anyone, lol.


	47. Lies

Nope, not a continuation of the last one, even though you WOULD think that 'Truth' and 'Lies' go together...

* * *

"I don't love you." The words come out of her mouth before she can stop them, before she can explain how the only way to escape the truth was to pretend it never existed.

He simply looks at her, golden eyes as bright as ever. "I know." He knows? How could he know, know something that she is using as but a shield to protect herself from what is inevitable (_Mai, the raven-haired woman with the flying daggers_)?

Then he begins to walk away; away to wed the woman that _should _be her, away to the wedding that she should be part off. For a moment, she almost calls after him, just to explain _why_ she had to lie, why she had to commit such an atrocity.

But before she can even complete the thought, he is gone, and all that's left are the lies, and only herself to blame.

* * *

Yeah, 'Tara...it's your fault this time...WHY MUST YOU LIE?!?! Yes, has Mai in it...I've had it for a while and just wanted to put it up, so suffer through it with me...the hot making out one will be up very soon, rest assured... 


	48. Unfair

Life was unfair.

Aang knew that. After all, his people had been wiped out, his caretaker left to die, and the world taken over and suffered for a century already.

It was only obvious if you thought about it.

So when Yue had become the Moon Spirit, Aang had thought, _Wow, she gave her life for the world…life sure is unfair._

And when Jet had been hurt under Lake Lougai, he had noted, _Jet isn't all that bad. He's changed for the better…and now he's dying. Life wasn't fair to him at all._

And in the crystal caverns, even though he hated himself for it, when the lightning struck Aang's back, the one thing that ran through his mind before he drifted into blackness was _It just isn't fair._

But Aang didn't know the truth until the fateful day in the forest, when he had found two people – one his enemy and one he was in love with – sharing a kiss. A long, deep, passionate _kiss_.

That was when he knew the truth:

Life was unfair, yes, but now Aang could be certain that to top it all off,

the gods hated him.

* * *

Just had to put in some Zutara-y Aangst...gotta love it.

I'm having trouble with the making out scene...just gotta figure out the right setting and circumstances, and then it'll be no problem.


	49. Second Guess

"Katara…"  
"What is it, Zuko?" the waterbender snapped, not even bothering to glance up from her scrolls. "I'm studying."

"Studying for what?" he leaned over her shoulder, puzzled. "'_Aunt Who's Complete Guide to Guys, Deluxe Addition_'"?  
"I…I…" Katara sputtered, whipping the scroll behind her back at the speed of lightning.

"Oh, Katara," Zuko sighed, shaking his head. "Love struck once more. And by whom, may I ask?"

"Well…he…" her face turned a delicate shade of pink as she avoided his gaze.

"That's alright, I understand." the firebender replied mysteriously.

Katara looked up sharply. "You do?"

"Perfectly," Zuko nodded, smiling. Then, to Katara's complete and utmost surprise, he began walking towards the door without a second glance.

Pausing just outside the room, he turned to her, smirking. "It's Haru, isn't it?"

* * *

Just more of Zuko being stupid...currently working on the kiss-scene thing, by the way. I should have it up tonight...I think I'll go with AvatarKiba1001's idea; I'm trying to do a maybe sort of 3 times POV switch in one drabble, y'know, Aang, Zuko, and Katara... 


	50. Thank You

This is Kiba's (aka AvatarKiba1001) request. She/he wanted a hot fire/water make out scene, and I did my best with that, although I think it has more fluff than was called for, lol.

Hope everyone enjoys it!

* * *

"Don't." her voice is quiet as she takes a step toward him, the pain in her blue eyes clear as day. The dawn is still hours away and indigo sky is sprinkled with stars as they stand there on the dock, the moon illuminating the wooden planks of the pier. Dimly, he wonders how in the world she has found him, here of all places. 

"I have to," Zuko looks away from her and to the far off ship anchored in the bay only a few hundred yards in front of him.

"Aang needs you." Katara's voice has a desperate edge to it now, and he can tell she is running out of excuses – they both know the young avatar has long since learned firebending.

"I need to find my mother," and this time he meets her gaze, because Zuko knows that she, of all people, must understand exactly how much he has to do this.

"You need to stay with us." Katara's voice trembles as her eyes burn into his, shining with pain and frantic hope and betrayal.

"No I don't. You'll be fine." Zuko doesn't meet her blue gaze as it seeks out his golden one, because Katara will not be fine and they both know it.

"I need you, Zuko." She takes a step toward him, and Zuko suddenly understands how impossibly hard it is for her to admit this. "I love you."  
It seems in the flash of an instant they are only a few inches apart, noses nearly brushing and fingers intertwined. Zuko can see every speck in her seas-blue need-you eyes, and he knows he will never get a chance like this again.

He leans forward and presses his mouth against hers, and suddenly there is an explosion of fireworks inside his head like never before. Zuko has never felt before, never like _this_, and she wraps her arms around him, pulling him closer as his rough and callused hands rest on either side of her face.

It is raw energy now, flowing through him and threatening to explode inside, but he pulls her closer still as there bodies press against each others, fitting perfectly as though two pieces of a puzzle. He could have sworn there was steam around them, because surely their opposing elements could not meet in such fervor without some sort of reaction?

If only, Zuko thinks, if only this moment could last forever, just him and Katara and no one else. But he knows that if he doesn't stop this kiss know – although _kiss_ is far too simple a word for it – he will never be able to.

So he pulls away, and for a moment Katara doesn't seem to realize what he's doing because for a few seconds she keeps trying to kiss him.

"No," he says softly, taking her hands in his and placing them gently at her own sides. "I have to do this."

"I need you!" Katara cries, eyes wide and hurt. "Please don't go!"

"You…you could come with me," Zuko says slowly as the idea hits him. "Two heads are better than one."  
For a moment he is sure she will says yes, but then Katara slowly shakes her head. "I can't. Sokka…Aang…Toph…they all…they need me. I can't leave them."

It's like she's driven a knife into his chest for a moment until Zuko realizes what she's _really _saying: _If I don't stay, who will make distract Sokka whenever he starts thinking about Suki? Who will remind Aang that he isn't alone no matter how bad things seem? Who will ever get Toph to stop acting like "one of the boys" and bring out the girl deep inside of her?_

"I understand," those words are harder than any others to say, because letting them come out of his mouth is like giving her permission to get up and leave him.

"I know you do," Katara says softly, hand drifting to rest on his scar. "I never got to heal it, you know."

"I know. I don't want you to."

She glances up at him, surprised. "Why not?"

"It's…it's part of who I am," he says quietly, because he is only just thinking of the words as they come out of his mouth. "It would be like ignoring a part of my life…pretending something that has had a huge impact on me never even existed."

Katara dips her head in agreement, then looks to the ocean. "Your ship will leave soon."

"I should go." Even though Zuko wants to tell her he doesn't want to go, not now, not when they've just had their first kiss and they should be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

"One day," and Katara's voice is breathless as she speaks, "We'll be together. After the final battle, after we've both grown up, after we've had a chance to become our own person and do what we must. Then I'll find you and wrap my arms around you and never leave you again, because we'll be together and that'll be all that matters."  
Zuko nods slowly, then turns away from her in a moment that is all too short and all too long, because he knows he won't see her for a long, long time and this is the last he'll see of her for a while, but also because it's a goodbye and he was never really good at them.

Zuko hears the soft sound of her footsteps and realizes, after an agonizing moment of incomprehension, that she really is leaving him.

"Wait," and she only pauses as he calls back to her, because they both know if she were to look at him it would be all too painful and they'd never be able to actually go through with this. "One last thing."

Katara cocks her head inquisitively and her braid lifts in the wind as there is a pregnant of moment before Zuko says these final, parting words.

"Thank you."

And if he could have looked at her right then, he'd have seen her smiling in that way only Katara could smile in, and if he'd looked very, very hard he would have seen her lips form three words:

_"Thank you, too."_

And Zuko would have just inclined his head however slightly, showing that he agreed with her and would count down the seconds until he could see her again, because they both knew that right here, right now only mattered because they had each other.

And that was something they could agree on.

* * *

I had _so_ much fun writing this...I think it's the fluffiest piece yet. 

And is the kiss good enough for everyone? I'm really not sure, but I did my best...

Hopefully that fits your standards, Kiba.


	51. Bridges Burned and Oceans Crossed

_They only met when it was dark. Both were aware that the world would never accept them as a pair, but neither cared about crossing boundaries – they had been doing so their entire lives._

_Through the wind and the rain she came that night, searching for him in her our of deepest need. And the kiss was full of lust and longing, but they both knew not to go too far, and the best Katara can do is imagine that _she_, after all, is the one to sleep beside him._

_She wasn't the little girl next door and he wasn't the older boy desperate for some fun, but that didn't mean they couldn't play pretend._

**o**

"Zuko," her tone was hard and cold as ice, because in public she could act no different than was usual, "I do not think the Water Tribe members would appreciate such spicy foods without an alternative. This is your wedding and it must be planned with careful diplomacy, seeing as you _are_ the Firelord."

"Yes," he had said quietly, only daring to look at her out of the corner of his eye – _because if he saw her anymore directly he would fall into those crystal blue eyes and be mesmerized by the silkiness of her voice_ – turning to Mai and asking further, "What do you think?"  
And that night at the wedding Katara couldn't stand to watch, so she had hid in the farthest corner of the palace, watching the rain come falling down, drop after drop.

Her brother had shown up behind her sometimes later and slipped his arm around her as if he knew how she felt, and Katara had just smiled for Sokka's sake because she knew this was her burden to bear, and to bear alone.

**o**

_It was best not to think about it, she had decided, because they both knew the honor that was at stake and the shamefulness in what they did._

_But she was push and he was pull, and they needed each other for that._

_Maybe Katara would have given up that night sooner, when she had waited outside his window for hours, waited for the one time when she could be happy, the one time when no other eyes could fall upon them._

_But she had stood there until she drifted off into sleep and one of the palace guards had found her curled up in the hedgerow._

_And Zuko was nowhere to be seen._

_She wasn't the temperamental young rebel and he wasn't the stubborn old king, but that didn't mean they weren't aloud to fight._

**o**

"There are fireflies out here, Auntie Katara!" little Yumiko had exclaimed, dancing around in the grass as she struggled to wrap her hands around one of the tiny bugs.

Katara just smiled and tried not to look directly at the Firelord's daughter, with eyes that reminded her of him and a smile too much like her mother's for comfort.

The cup of tea in her hands was warm as she brought it to her lips, and if she looked just the right way she couldn't see the shadows of the Firelord and his wife through the papery walls of the dining room.

If she looked _just right_, she could almost pretend she didn't notice when she pecked him on the lips and then when he spun her around the room, laughing.

And because _just right_ was too good to be true but still good enough, Katara just took another sip of her jasmine tea and tried to pretend that the cries of betrayal ringing in her ears and the envy prickling at her heart was just another figment of her imagination.

Somehow, after that, Katara wasn't able to look at Yumiko quite right ever again.

**o**

_She is walking through the garden in their back yard, __**her husband's back yard**__, and the moon and stars are shining with a light that rivals no other._

_The vines crawl all over the worn path to the forest behind the mansion and trees are everywhere, thriving on the fair climate and frequently spaced rain._

_But there is a loneliness inside Katara as she look up at the Milky Way and thinks, _I am so small compared to this,_ but knows if she were __**his**__ her life would be a thousand times bigger._

_To anyone else this place would be paradise, but Katara knows that whatever happens, __**she cannot survive here**._

_She is not the naïve little child she once was and life is kinder than it used to be, but that doesn't mean she can't break._

**o**

"His name is Kano," Zuko's voice is quiet as he looks down at the dark-haired amber eyed child in his arms.

"But that means…" Mai doesn't finish her sentence, glancing at a tired and worn Katara, exhausted from being the midwife through such a long and hard labor.

"'God of the Sea'?" the Firelord asks dryly, already beginning to exit the small birthing room. "He will bear his title well, I assure you." Then he is gone, footsteps echoing on the hard wooden floor of the hall.

Katara winces at his tone of voice, and her eyes shift from Mai to the door, Mai to the door. Suddenly hurrying out the room, she places her hand on Zuko's shoulder and draws back, surprised, when he turns his furious gaze onto her.

"What is it? You didn't have to help – I had to suffer through that, with you _and_ Mai there. What were you thinking?" his eyes burn into hers as he hisses at her, fists clenched tightly.

Ignoring him, she asks, "Why name your son for the seas?" It is a simple enough question, but her heart is beating faster, faster, faster, because it might be for her, might, might, might….

"Why name your son Fudo?" His words sting like a knife as the reality of them hit her full on in the face.

"Aang wanted to…." Katara trails off. Zuko has caught her, caught her in the act.

"You named him for the god of fire and wisdom." His amber eyes meet Katara's azure ones and a bolt of pure energy slams through her, leaving her breathless.

He is right, oh so right, it is ironic, almost, that his son is named for her and her son is named for him….

And she wants to tell him so, tell him about her son and how she wishes he wasn't the avatar's son but the _Firelord's_ son and how nearly every night is anguish.

Then Mai calls for her husband, asking him to fetch a blanket, and the spell is broken.

They both rush down opposite sides of the hall and try to pretend they don't regret their decisions, and wonder how many days will be like this before they are together again.

**o**

_Her son is a grey eyed waterbender, and Aang could not be prouder._

_He loves her, and Katara has never doubted that, oh, never. He gives her everything – a home, a family, and a job as his partner in working out all the problems he must solve._

_And when she lies beside him at night, she tries to pretend that she doesn't wish his eyes were amber instead of deep grey and his hair black instead of shaved off or his voice low instead of high pitched and his Uncle his guide instead of Avatar Roku._

_But Katara can't help feeling guilty when Aang tells her he loves her more than anything or anyone, because she is never quite able to answer him._

_At the balls she must act her part carefully, never straying too far from her husband or talking to too many other men._

_Katara isn't a dirty fraud and lying certainly isn't her favorite thing to do, but that doesn't mean she can't get good at it._

**o**

"Mommy, mommy, guess what I found!" little Ayame rushes into the kitchen, her little four year old voice causing a wave of affection for her daughter wash through Katara.

"What is it, sweetie?" Katara bends down to her daughter's level and is glad she does not resent the fact that her daughter is an airbender and not a firebender, or the all too obvious grey tint in her blue eyes.

"A necklace!" Ayame holds out her hand and her mother takes in a sharp breath, for in front of her is a deep red cloth strip and sewn in the center is a carefully blended circular carving of the symbol for Yin and Yang.

"Where…where did you find that?" and suddenly, Katara _does_ resent her children, eight year old Fudo and little Ayame both, because if they were Zuko's surely the necklace would have been around her neck and not waiting for one of them to find?  
"In the attic, Mommy. It's pretty, isn't it? Mommy?" her little girl voice is puzzled as Katara's face darkens and her eyes narrow.

"Yes, yes it is." She forces out after a moment. This child is of her flesh and her blood and she will not condemn Ayame for her father.

"Can I wear it?" her blue eyes gleam with excitement and Katara nearly slaps her daughter before realizing, _She doesn't know what she'd doing._

So she slowly and carefully clasp the trinket around her daughter's neck and pray her husband has enough tact not to bring up a subject quite so sore.

**o**

_Mai is dead._

_No one is surprised; the rebellion always targeted those closest to the Firelord to get their point across._

_But it is, however, shocking when, only a month later, the avatar and his wife separate._

_Shame, people say, they were such a good team. Fortunately their children were nearly grown; Fudo already twenty years old and Ayame just sixteen. Lucky that they only separated because they decided their love had worn out; but of course, nothing but honorable for the avatar and the woman that first taught him waterbending._

_And no one thinks to question the fact that Mai was found drowned in a pond with a note no one could read in her hand, or the fact that Katara and Aang's huge fight was the day after the funeral where the avatar's wife broke the Firelord's bout of depression by allowing him to sob into her shirt._

_No, no, no one wonders because it would be improper to think about such things, improper indeed._

_Both couple's lives may have been more public than they should have, but that doesn't mean they don't have their secrets._

**o**

"Mai is dead." It isn't a question, it is a fact, and as Katara stands there cloaked in a red robe and without the usual family beside her, she wonders what he will say.

"You and Aang have split." Ah, so Zuko will fight fire with fire, she sees.

"I can stay here…if you want." And when his surprised eyes seek out hers, she merely looks out the window because she doesn't want to have to answer any more questions than she has to.

"I do." And now it is her turn to try to catch his eye, because if Katara knows anything it's that Zuko is stubborn and certainly she didn't expect him to give in quite so soon?  
"I missed you." She is being bold to say those words, bold to question the last path of her life. So Katara holds her breath and just waits for him to say something, anything.

"I missed you, too."  
Then she is in his arms, sobbing into his chest and he is stroking her hair, murmuring, "Shh, shh, it's all right…"

And they aren't kissing or doing any of the things they always dreamed of, but somehow they are together again, and that is enough.

**o**

_The days are long and short both in the Firelord's palace. They have separate rooms and separate beds, but people talk and talk some more._

_They don't care because they don't have to live a lie or pretend anymore because, after all this time, they can be with each other in peace._

_She leaves him to his daily meditation at the turtle duck pond and he leaves her to an hour of praying to her ancestors each day, because they both know only too well how much a person needs their space._

_And Katara never wanted more than to be with Zuko, or so she thought until the day at dinner when he knelt down on one knee and unclenched his fingers to reveal small necklace (like the one she never got to wear) in his hand._

_Neither of them are miracle workers and the scars they share run deep, but that doesn't mean their wounds can't be healed._

**o**

The wedding is a quiet one, held in a small chapel in the countryside of the Fire Nation. All of their children are there and Sokka and Suki and especially Toph, because she knew better than anyone about what they'd gone through.

The priest is his Uncle Iroh, risen from his bed in order to perform the union, and although the two are much older than they used to be, the smiles on their faces couldn't be more youthful.

And as their pastor begins speaking sunlight streams through the windows and they both know that even though they've lived through many things to get here, they would never change a thing.

They stare into each others eyes as the words "You may kiss the bride" ring through the church and there is a long moment when they each realize that heaven could never be so great as what they have here.

And their lips meet in an explosion of applause and fireworks in their head, because this is perfect and wonderful and amazing and more than they could ever hope for.

After all, she isn't the damsel in distress and he isn't the handsome prince, but that doesn't mean they can't have their happy ending.

* * *

I originally wrote this as a oneshot, then decided it would work better as a drabble. I'm afraid it's complete crap; please, tell me what you though of it. 

I'm not sure if I got the end quite right...

Oh no...now I'm afraid I've ruined my drabble series reputation with one really bad drabble. : (


	52. Walls that Stand Between Us

_He deserves to die_, she told herself. _Zuko deserved it and earned it; you said it yourself._

But Katara's eyes rise to the execution taking place before her, and she must throw up her barrier again to block the emotions; they couldn't be together anyway, it was wrong, sick and wrong….

So she turns to the young avatar standing expressionlessly beside her – _Katara's _real_ shield_ – and kisses him again, immersing herself farther and farther into the world of deception that has become her home.

When she's done Katara turn backs to look at the amber-eyed boy – _man_ – awaiting his death and tries to pretend the walls that stood between them were the kind that couldn't be torn down.

* * *

To make things clear, Katara is at Zuko's execution trying to convince herself that he deserved to die, in order to protect herself from what she thinks is inevitable (Zuko's death). It's post-war; Zuko is good, yes, but he never joined the Gaang and has no way of proving it. What did you think of it? Also, I have 3 drabbles I've been reluctant to post because they all include deaths in some form or another. Would it be alright if I posted them? 


	53. Life Goes On

_Life goes on._

It is such a strange saying for her. It seems that is should apply to her every day, her every moment, her every breath, but somehow it doesn't.

Perhaps it is because she can still taste his kiss; see his golden eyes; here the sound of his voice calling her from sleep.

It seems like the world is speeding up faster and faster around her, as though no one remembers that a man named Zuko ever existed. They have all forgotten or chosen to ignore him; and her in the process.

Because the simple fact of the matter is,

_Life goes on, even if your life doesn't._

_

* * *

_Poor, poor, Katara...the one man she ever loved is DEAD...I should probably write a fluffy, romantic peice to make up for this one. 


	54. A Long Way Home

1. The first time he saw her on the playground as a child when he was in second grade and she just entered kindergarten; the recess ended with two scraped knees on Katara's part and a black eye on Zuko's. Needless to say, their teacher was surprised when the two ended the school day holding hands.

2. Most people seemed to think Zuko hated music; after all Iroh was the band director and it was only obvious how often his nephew tried to skip family music night. But no one was more surprised than Zuko himself when he showed up at Katara Kuruk's doorstep with a wilted flower, a bad stutter, and two tickets to the symphony at Carnegie Hall.

3. Their first real argument was at the middle school dance; she wanted the fruit punch and he wanted Coke. Of course, it blew up into a huge fight and ended with Katara's face down in the cake and Zuko's new suit covered in icing. If they'd gone as a couple people would have stayed quiet, but anyone could see how well they fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle. It was only obvious neither could see this themselves, but still, people wondered.

4. Her best friend became Aang Yangchen the second she saw him with his arrow-hat and pet lemur, but Zuko couldn't help feelings slightly jealous. Finally he stole Katara's necklace and threatened to burn it if she didn't tell him where Aang was so he could give the twerp a good kick or two, because after all Zuko was her oldest friend and she ought to remember that.

5. It was almost unsettling both their mothers disappeared at the same time; they had a double funeral in order to save money and perhaps because they needed to be near each other at a time like that, although neither would ever admit it. Still, she had her father and her brother, and Zuko had his father and his sister – in other words, he had no one.

6. The day Katara came to see Zuko only to find his house lit ablaze and firefighters swarming everywhere was the worst of her life, and her heart nearly stopped as they brought him out on his stretcher. She had visited the day afterward, and was slightly hurt and awed he'd said no visitors, but after all he needed his space and she should respect that.

7. After the second month Katara gave up completely and went back to the old days of long walks in the park and steaming bowls of ramen noodles, but every time she saw the color red everything seemed to come back to her. Of course, she had no way of knowing how Zuko felt about blue, so it was only natural to cleanse her room and wardrobe of red in order to get rid of the feelings. Still, even with all reminders of him gone, Katara couldn't help feeling a pang when she heard he'd moved into the country with his uncle.

8. The months were long in the small towns of New York, that was for sure, but it was a life and for that Zuko was thankful. Still, it was a little disconcerting that he had resorted to raveling around with a sixty year old man that loved tea and played the tuba at bars. Even if there was nothing else, he knew that one day he would see her – _her_ – somewhere, whether it be in college or when they were both married with kids, and then all the time would have been worth it.

9. The months came fast in New York City, like the cars that rushed by outside Katara's window at night, but it was a life, and for that she was thankful. Still, it was a little disconcerting knowing that her caretaker was a sixty year old woman that loved the moon and spent her days working in a hair salon. But even if there was nothing else, she knew that one day she would see him – _him_ – somewhere, whether it be in college or when they were both married with kids, and then all the time would have been worth it.

10. That was one thing that never changed through the years, her searching for him and him for her. And it was true; it was all worth it the moment Katara saw that boy with the scar in the grocery store with a bag of Chile peppers in his hand.

And it was even more worth it the day he showed up at her doorstep with a blue engagement necklace hanging from the tips of his fingers and the first smile she's seen on his face in a long, long time.

* * *

Hm...did you like it? I thought it was okay; I just wanted to expirement with the whole '10 Truths' thing.

I am, however, worried I didn't get the end quite right...what do you think?


	55. Need

"Please," she begs him, staring up at him with eyes bluer than ever. "Please, don't leave now. Don't leave me alone."

Zuko just looks from the bloodstained bodies of what was once his family and back to the heart broken girl before him. For a moment he almost leaves, almost tells her no, almost decides that Katara can survive over on her own. But he can't bring himself to abandon her like this, can't bring himself to tear himself away from her, so he settles with, "Why?"

"I need you," Katara whispers, and the need in her voice is enough to convince him. Zuko plops down on the ground and allows her to sob into his shirt.

After what could have been a single torturous moment of heart wrenching pity or an endless drone of sympathy for this girl (_this girl he is in love with_) the cry subsides and she leans against his chest, eyes shut tight and tears still spilling out the corner. "I need you," Katara murmurs once more as she presses herself against him, the trust clear in the way she intertwines her fingers with his without a single hesitation.

As she repeats her words, Zuko remembers – remembers laughter that stopped him from slipping into the depths of despair; compassion that healed his deepest scars; wisdom that saved him from choosing the wrong path.

It is so strange, he thinks, that Katara should say this when Zuko is obviously getting the better end of the bargain, and he promises himself fiercely never to let pride get in the way of gratefulness ever again.

So he allows a slight smile to grace his face as he leans to her ear and says in a low undertone, "Trust me, the feeling's mutual."

* * *

Hm...did Zuko seem too...lighthearted at the end? I dunno, tell me what you think, please...

For some reason, I'm running out of ideas. Don't worry, though, it's probably just writer's block - after all, there was a time I thought I wouldn't even be able to make it past chapter 10, lol.


	56. Our Song

**Keeping a Secret**

_You get mine, I get yours_

"I won't tell," Zuko muttered, avoiding the sight of Katara's tearstained cheeks desperately; "if it makes you feel any better, my mother hasn't completely let my mind either."

**Tower**

_Be careful not to slip_

Katara stares down the mountain, a tremor running through her – _So high, I'm going to fall_ – and almost grows dizzy by the time Zuko's hand brushes against her own and brings Katara shooting down to earth, back where she belongs.

**Waiting**

_Your time will come_

"So many people dying," she said mournfully, "Why can't we help them?"; Zuko just looked at her and narrowed his eyes because firstly, death wasn't really his favorite subject since one of his nicer family members had succumbed to it recently and secondly because he knew exactly how she felt.

**Danger Ahead**

_So try and keep it real_

Katara feels Zuko grow rigid as the leering Fire Nation soldiers come closer by the second and whispers the first words that come to mind: "Don't worry, they're all bad fighters – and trust me, the worst is yet to come."

**Sacrifice**

_Don't joke_

"So just let yourself get captured!" Katara had yelled at Zuko; "You're the one whose always letting their 'real identity' slip" – but really, she thought with a whimper as a single teardrop rolled down her cheek, she'd never expected him to actually take her advice.

**Kick in the Head**

_Ouch_

"It hurts," he moaned deliriously, clutching his arm desperately, "Heal it, Katara, _please_" – the last thing Zuko remembered before the dark came was a pair of glowing hands resting on his horribly burnt skin and a soft voice murmuring, "Don't worry, Zuko, it's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright."

**No Way Out**

_Or is there?_

"There's no escape," Katara had said flatly as the first began to venture into the tangle of labyrinths the was the Cave of Two Lovers, "we should just give up right away"; now, Zuko realized, fingers brushing his tingling lips as the glowing green crystals slowing illuminated their path, that she had known all along.

**Rejection**

_Tough it up_

"Your worthless," his father spat cruelly, glaring at Zuko as he knelt down on the ground, hacking up blood; he only dimly began to realize he was dying before he heard a distinctly feminine voice echo from the back of his head - "_No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"_ – and somehow gathered the energy to lift up his fist and allow a fire ball to fly out of it: _"No, Father, you are." _

**Fairy Tale**

_Don't expect to get your own_

"And then the princess live happily ever after with the handsome prince," Katara finished, snapping the book shut and smiling at her daughter wearily as the little girl yawned; every sentence had been painful (_especially whenever the word "prince" came up_) and once again she was forced to wonder why her husband was one of the grey eyes when it had been the amber she'd fallen in love with.

**Magic**

_After all, the little things in life are free_

"It's beautiful, Zuko," she gushed, tears of joy prickling at the back of her eyes as she held the necklace by the tips of her fingers, the intricate carving in the center sending a rush of warmth through her, "But let's seal it with a kiss, shall we?"

**Do Not Disturb**

_The wrong side of the bed_

"Well," Katara huffed, glaring at him, "_Some_one's grumpy today"; Zuko just ignored her, pulled his pillow tighter over his head, and tried not to give in when she began to tickle him.

**Multitasking**

_Dangerous but necessary_

"A wife and a country to balance out," Sokka commented coolly, glowering at the Firelord over the rim of his teacup, "That's a bit much, don't you think?"; Zuko just let his remark slide and pulled Katara the tiniest bit closer.

**Horror**

_Don't be scared; I'm here_

Zuko awoke breathless, the scenes of the nightmare still playing out from behind his eyes, and could not quite let the images of blood and gore though until he crept up behind Katara's sleeping mat and was able to go back to sleep knowing that all was well.

**Traps**

_And not one safe place left_

"A suicide mission, she said," Zuko mumbled under his breath, knife clutched in hand as he peered at his sister from behind the pillar; he only had time to wonder why, somehow, Katara was always right when a hand tapped on his shoulder and a dry voice commented, "You never actually thought I'd let you go alone, did you?"

**Playing the Melody**

_It's my lullaby_

"It's the water's song," Katara whispered, leaning her head against his chest as she listened to the rhythm of the waves washing against the floor; Zuko just smiled down at her and corrected gently, "No, Katara, it's _our_ song."

* * *

Like it? It was kind of short, I know... 

And if anyone can guess who said that one quote (no one can make you feel inferior without your consent) they get a free request.


	57. In the Long Run

He was strong once, she remembers. He was strong and poweful and could scare all but the most courageous into obedience, and she (_almost_) fell in love with him.

_Once_ Katara said because those days, the days of the dangerous and mysterious blue spirit lurking in the shadows, waiting to bring down his enemies, were gone.

_Almost_ she said because she never really did find out what was behind that mask.

They're all but fragments of broken dreams, echoes of the past, drifting on the wind and spiraling up into the sky.

It's been a eternity _(since she felt whole; since she saw him_) she thinks. But one can never be sure, because after all, the time can slip away through the hourglass faster then lightning, or go grain by grain, piece by piece, dragging out the hours into an endless blur of misery.

It doesn't really matter, in the long run.

So Katara just strikes her match and blows life into her little candle, setting it on the window sill, a beacon for weary travelers.

It's been so long since she's had hope.

But then again, it wasn't a surprise, not really.

He (_Zuko_) was like the fire, consuming everything but himself, destroying life so a new one could be built in it's place. He had to move on, because once everything was burnt to the ground, what was left for him to accomplish?

_He could have stayed_, she told herself silently, eyes closing briefly. _He could have, would have, if you'd ever mattered._

_If you'd ever _really_ mattered._

But there's no time (_jut one more thing she wishes she had more of_) for if's, not when Katara's lost so much of it already, so she just hurries on to her rocking chair and tries to believe what she knows isn't true.

_He loved me, he loved me not._

So tiring, and besides, she had little the energy to care at all _(even though, deep down, it was more important than anything else had ever been_).

After all, it didn't really matter,

in the long run.

* * *

This is really wierd, I know. I might delete if it doesn't get positive feedback - basically, it's just an attempt to get over my writers block. 

But, anyway, what do you think of it?


	58. Blood

The biggest surprise is not so much that he jumps in front of the arrow, but that the arrow was meant for _her_.

He crumples to the ground almost immediately, and the blood begins to flow. Crouching down next to him, tears fill her eyes – sweat, blood, tears, who could tell the difference?

He looks up at her, the life draining from his golden eyes faster than ever. She stares at him, horrified, as he rasps out four words: "_It's not your fault." Oh, but it is, Zuko. It is._

And so Katara is left to watch her lover die in a pool of blood that should be her own.

* * *

ARGH! MY WRITERS BLOCK IS SO HORRIBLY AWFUL!!!!!!! I had to dig through old files 'till I found this. Please excuse its crappiness...I'm idea-less. I think it might have been brought on by all the Maiko season 3 seems to be having. Don't get me wrong, I like Maiko, but I think it's stifling my Zutarian spirit in ways unimaginable. My writers block will probably pass, but if you have any ideas, I really, really need them.


	59. Two of a Kind

_"Masks," she told him, knees pressed against her chest as she first indicated the laughing blue demon that was his face and the berry red stripes that was hers, "that's all they are, really, just masks. We're using them to hide, to start over. We have to find ourselves, somewhere inside. One day, some day soon, we'll be able to move on and let go, at a time when we're ready..." her blue eyes burned into his. "One day."_

_He just nodded, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the starry sky overhead. "Yes," he agreed softly, fingering the broadsword at his belt, "one day."_

**o**

Now, and only now, as he stood in front of the girl he had known so long but so little with only a phantom mask and a wall of silence to protect him from the harsh and cold truth that was reality, did Zuko realize a flaw in her reasoining - he would never have been really ready for this moment, even with all of eternity to prepare for it.

He looked down at her through the eyeholes, the ones that narrowed down his line of vision but somehow expanded his sight to a degree it had never been before. The hat and veil was strewn across the grass and the paint had been smeared and rubbed off, leaving her complextion clear for the first time.

Zuko took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back, and let his fingers brush the plastic he had worn so long it was like a second identity; another face, and the one he would never done again. So many times he had forsaken it, only to have it turn up on an old merchant's cart, or washed up on the shore of a great lake, or in the back of his mother's closet.

But now, he knew it really _was_ going to be the last time. So, grasping the mask (and the blue spirit with it) by the tips of his fingers and prying away his own grip, he let it drop down onto the grass with a soft thud.

There was a long moment of silence, and although the old Zuko would have been terrified it meant rejection or worse, somehow it was just another event falling into place with everything else.

The moon poked through the heavy layer of clouds and shone down on them, because that was the way it was meant to be.

It could have lasted a thousand years or a single second, just him and her, on that hill, with their eyes locked and melded into a bond unbreakable by even the sharpest sword.

Then, suddenly, she was in his arms (_like it was meant to be_) and it was perfect, perfect - or maybe not, maybe it was only life happening right as it was supposed to.

They threw the mask, along with their old selves, into the river, where they belonged.

* * *

This was written while I listened to 'Drops of Jupiter' about a million times in a row, so you have Train to thank for my inspiration. 

I'm actually considuring writing a songfic or drabble based on 'Drops of Jupiter' - to me, it's the perfect Zutara song.

To be clear, this is Painted Lady/Blue Spirit. Yep, just me jumping on the band wagon, lol. Hope everyone liked it!


	60. Drops of Jupiter

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey  
She acts like summer and walks like rain  
Reminds me that theres time to change, hey, hey  
Since the return from her stay on the moon  
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey_

"I'm going on a trip," she told him, slamming closed her suticase as she spoke. "A journey."

He didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I'll be back," Katara assured, edging towards the door. "I promise I'll come back." She paused. "Oh, god, Zuko, please don't hate me," Katara whispered, frozen with her hand poised over the doorknob. Eyes closing briefly, she asked desperately, "You understand, don't you?"

Zuko just shrugged because honestly, he didn't, and besides, what would it ever matter what he thought anyway?

_Tell me did you sail across the sun  
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated_

"So, what was it like?" he asked her conversationally as she swung her legs back and forth, hands stretched out behind her as she looked at the peaceful river below from where they sat on the bridge.

Katara smiled. "Oh, it was nice." Bobbing her head, she craned neck upward. "Look, Zuko! There, you can see it - that cloud. It's shaped perfectly like a poodle monkey!"

As she chattered on, Zuko just nodded as he watched the sun sink blood crimson beyond the water, and, a long while later, when the stars had already come out and the moon was just beginning to peek through the veil of night, he took her hand in his. Katara didn't seem to notice, and after all, what chance would he ever get beyond this?  
It must have been near midnight when Zuko, almost subconsiously, squeezed her hand as she pointed out the North Star that had guided them during their venture into the Fire Nation.

If he hadn't been so busy drifting of into a light slumber, he might have noticed when she squeezed back.

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star  
One without a permanent scar  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there_

"It was a long time ago," Katara pointed out airily, waving her hand in an unreadable gesture, "I can't really remember."

Zuko snorted and leaned back farther in the swaying grass, long blades blowing in the breeze and blocking his view of the blue sky, blue like her eyes.

"You left for a reason, Katara," he replied shortly, rolling over to stare down the bridge of his nose at the dirt. "You did."

There was a long silence, then, ever so quietly, "Yes, yes, I suppose I did."

Zuko didn't bother to ask when she rose up from the field and began slowly walking back in the direction of town, but his eyes followed her until she was but a shadow on the endless see of amber.

Only then did he dare whisper to himself, "But the real question is, did you miss me?"

_Now that shes back from that soul vacation  
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey  
She checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo  
Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey_

"Morning workout," Katara explained, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes all while reaching for the pointed tips of her feet, "stretching helps me when I waterbend."

Zuko sat down beside her, crossing his legs. "I see." He watched as she carefully held each position for twice as long as he would have been able too, and could only help but baunch when she knelt down, placing her hands flat on the ground in front of her with her backside to him.

Looking at him through her legs, Katara inquired, smiling, "A little help with my headstand, please?"

Scrambling up, Zuko grabbed her ankles tightly, rising up along with her as she straightened up until her legs were directly above her. "Let go," she ordered, and he obliged, unclenching his tight grip and pausing to observe the finished product with an artists eye. Just when he thought Katara would never come down, her body began swaying, first this way and then that, and for a moment Zuko had the overwhelming urge to seize hold of her before she fell.

It was after a few moments of this that he heard a soft singing, and was able to comprehend that she was _singing_, and, to top it off, an old Fire Nation lullaby - one he knew very well himself. Idly wondering what he should do, after a moment Katara heard a low and intense harmony joining in with her high pitched and crystal clear voice, until the entire room was filled with their musical chanting.

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain 'ol Jane  
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land_

"And they lived happily ever," Zuko finished platonically, then snapping the book shut, and, continuing in the same breath, admonished, "Katara, I don't see why your being sick requires me to read old fairy tale books to you all day."

Looking at him from her position in bed, she answered cheerfully, although through a stuffy nose, "Well, then, it's my turn. Once upon a time, there was a man, a son of the Fire, in fact, that was given the power of flight by his father's friend, the Air..." As she went on to tell of his incredible bravery throughout his life but his inability to build up the courage to leave everything he'd ever known and venture into the depths of the sky, where his true love, daughter of the Water, had been residing in, Zuko realized that even if she wasn't purposely talking about him, she might as well be.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day  
And head back to the milky way  
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind  
Was it everything you wanted to find  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there_

"So, did you get the answers to all your questions?" Zuko said it out of the blue, as they walked next to each other on the sand, leaving footprints soon to be washed away by the rising tide.

"Yes," Katara nodded, "yes, I think I did."

The quiet that followed was long but certainly not uncomfortable when Zuko blurted out, "Did you ever regret it?"  
Katara came to a halt. "No," she told him firmly, eyes glinting with a steely determination, "No, I never did."

They kept walking without another word the entire time, for, somehow, Zuko could not gather up the courage to ask again.

_Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken  
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong  
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone  
Conversation  
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me_

"Do you want to get some coffee?" he heard himself say as she oppened the door to find a sopping wet Zuko standing in the shelter of her front porch with his hair, damp from the rain, plastered to his forehead.

"Of course!" Katara exclaimed, thrilled, running back inside to return with an umbrella clutched in her hand. "Let's go."

As they walked through the puddle filled streets, the rain falling around them like a reassuring beat of the heart, the parosol spread out its wings to guard them from the onslaught of the storm.

The red paper, addourned with gold flowers, seemed to twirl and spin with every step through the mud and ever oncoming water, swirling with dirt. Through the sound of the rain coming down and the echo of their footsteps on the near empty street, Zuko heard one of the old woman whisper to her husband as they passed, "They make such a cute couple!"

Swiveling his head, he tried to tell her it wasn't true anymore, that they were only friends, and only then did he realize they'd become more than that from the second they met.

Glancing back at the dark-haired girl beside him, hands tucked in the sleeves of her kimono, Zuko realized he wouldn't trade it for anything, even if Katara would never be his.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day  
And head back toward the milky way_

"Do you like it?" he forced out after a moment of watching her stare down at the necklace previously wrapped under brown parchment paper - certainly not an engagement necklace, but still.

There was a split second he thought she must have hated it but for her silence, and that was the precise moment he found himself embraced by a teary eyed Katara with her arms tight around his neck.

"I love it, Zuko," she murmured in his ear, voice thick with emotion, and as he pulled away from her suffocating hug with a blush and a stammered, "Well, it doesn't exactly mean we're dating or anything, I just thought you'd like it" - Katara muttered under her breath, smiling to herself, "You always were afraid of commitment."

_Tell me did you sail across the sun  
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded  
And that heaven is overrated_

"Did you find what you were looking for?" this time Zuko met her gaze directly and without hesitation, for he had wondered for a long time and she owed him and answer.

Katara froze like she had all those years ago with her hands clasped behind her back and leaning forward with her nose nearly brushing the window, sprinkled with rain. The air was thick with tension and unspoken fear as Zuko leaned back against the table, arms folded because this time he wasn't going to back down.

She glanced back and forth, the steamy and wet street before her then back at him, the look of stubborness on his face that she had almost hoped would have left him forever.

Katara's eyes flickered to Zuko one last time, before she directed her gaze, however slowly, back on the cobbled roads of Ba Sing Se, overcast by the couldy skies overhead.

"Yes," she said, so softly he could barely hear, and could only barely acknowledge when she turned to face him, eyes meeting his full on for the first time in a while and traveling over his suprised face as she added, almost to herself, "I think I did."

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star  
One without a permanent scar  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

* * *

_Well, that probably sucked, lol.

Tell me what you think, please...oh, and 'Drops of Jupiter' belongs to Train.


	61. Never Far Behind

_I know this really isn't you  
I know your heart is somewhere else  
And I'll do anything I can  
To help you break out of this spell  
I see you following the crowd  
I know your trying to fit in  
But if your gonna find yourself  
You gotta start from deep, deep within_

"Please – don't –" bright blue eyes burned into him desperately as Zuko took a step towards the unconscious young avatar, crumpled on the ground before the massacred body of the Dragon of the West.

"Be quiet, peasant, I have a job to do –" he snarled, suppressing sob deep within his chest.

"No, you don't _understand_ – Aang didn't kill your Uncle; Iroh – he – Iroh sacrificed himself for us, he let himself be killed –" she begged, nearly to the point of tears.

"Well, that's not what it _looked_ like," Zuko replied flatly, staring at her completely emotionlessly. "I'm going to kill him. He killed me Uncle and so he's _dead_."

"Just – just let me explain –" Katara choked out from behind her tears, straining against the rope bonds that secured her to a tree. "I – Zuko – Zuko, you're better than this!"

_Hold on to what you believe _

I will always be your friend  
I know who you are inside  
I am with you till the end  
Never far behind  
I am standing in the distance  
You can take your time  
and I will be here waiting  
Never far behind  
Yeah  
Never Far Behind 

Pausing, he glared at her deliberately. "What do you know about who I am? I've done things you can't even _think_ about! You don't know me, so stop acting like you do!"  
"I know you," Katara said quietly, tears still flowing down her cheeks to litter the ground with salty drops of water.

Grinding his teeth, Zuko managed to get out, "Shut up, alright? Just…just shut up."  
"Oh, yeah," Toph commented dryly from where she lay slumped against a boulder, lifting her head just enough to peer at Zuko humorlessly, "great comeback, Sparky."

Turning on her, he snapped, "Be quiet, you little…you can't even _see_, so just…you're worthless, alright? _Worthless_!" Zuko spat, heaving by the time he was finished.

"Your Uncle didn't think like that," the earthbender retorted. "And I'm sad, too, Sparky – I knew him as well, so don't go thinking that you're the only person with a right to feel sad about this."

Drawing in a sharp breath, the scarred firebender hissed, eyes gleaming, "What do you know about it? What do _any_ of you know about it, about being alone? He's all I have, can't you see? I've never had anyone care about me like me Uncle, never, and now – now," Zuko inhaled deeply, as though trying to keep from crying, "he's gone."

There was a long silence.

_I am sending you a message  
Don't ever think that its too late  
When you care about someone  
There is always room for change  
Your allowed to make mistakes  
Its a part of every life  
I don't see you any different  
The Truth Is Shining In Your Eyes_

"No, Zuko," Katara corrected softly, "You're not alone."

Now he stared at her in disbelief, amber eyes glowing. "_What_?"

_Hold on to what you believe _

I will always be your friend  
I know who you are inside  
I am with you till the end  
Never far behind  
I am standing in the distance  
You can take your time  
and I will be here waiting  
Never far behind  
Yeah  
Never far behind 

"You're not alone, Zuko," Katara repeated, standing up in one fluent motions, the ropes shedding from her slim figure like water. Taking a step closer to him, she hesitated. Looking up into his face, she said in barely a whisper, "You're not." Almost uncertainly, although she'd wanted to for so long, Katara settled her slender fingers on either side of his face and pulled him to her.

The entire world seemed to gasp as there lips met.

_  
Nah Na Nah Na... _

You can take your time  
And I know  
With all my heart 

Zuko's brain felt numb as her soft mouth pressed against his. His head began to spin as memories rushed back; of balmy evenings lying under the sky with the stars above; of lazy afternoons, picking out shapes in the clouds; of intense training sessions that always ended in joyous laughter; and of the last night, sneaking out in the heat of the moment with swords strapped to his belt and tucking away all the good times in order to focus solely on his one, true goal.

Or so he'd thought. But now he realized that, even while searching out his mother, it had been love he was craving, love he needed all along, love that was right back, just waiting here for him to return.

_I will always be your friend  
I know who you are inside  
I am with you till the end  
Never far behind  
I am standing in the distance  
You can take your time  
and I will be here waiting  
Waiting by my side  
God is never far behind_

Drawing away and gasping for air, Katara murmured after a moment, "you have me."

Looking deep within her eyes, Zuko replied softly, only once glancing at his Uncle's corpse and realizing all at once who was going to fill that place, "yeah…you know what? I think you're right."

And she was, because whatever was coming, whatever they had to go through – a thousand more situations like this or a few even worse – Zuko already knew the one way that they would do them all:

Together.

_I am sending you a message

* * *

_Um...Aly and A.J. own 'Never Far Behind.' I'm not sure how well it fits the plot of this drabble, but I was thinking the whole 'not alone' theme kinda fit the song. 

I'm sorry I haven't updated before this; I have just surfaced from a long trip into the fandom world of Naruto - my NEW obsession, lol. Updates are going to be a little farther spaced than they once were, though hopefully not as far apart as they have been lately.

I hope this one isn't completely crappy...tell me what you think, please!


	62. Once in Forever

_i._ _burn_

"Please tell me that you're not really Zuko, but some kind of freaky clone that looks just like him." Her brother nearly pleads with him as he stares at the scarred firebender, swords across his back and a scowl on his face.

He glances towards the waterbender peasant, still unsure why he cares even at all what she thinks of him. Silence.

"What are you doing here?" Barked out at him from the very boy that will one day be his master.

Zuko's mouth remains shut. They simply look at him, then away; at him, then away, as they wonder what to do. Then, in a blur of a moment, there is a stinging slap across his cheek and a voice snarling in his ear, "That was for Ba Sing Se."

His head swivels almost as if he were a puppet, and while others in the temple wear only shocked faces, his eyes glow amber and angry as she stomps off, hair flying out behind her.

She glances back to him, mouth twisted in a sneer and hollow eyes boring into him, glowing like embers of a dying fire; searing him like the scar stretching across his face once did. "I hate you."

(_because I never had courage enough to say otherwise_)

_ii. frostbite_

"Let me in, Katara," Zuko ordered as he grasped the brass doorknob in one hand and knocked on the solid wood with the other.

"No," her voice was clipped and curt, almost as if she wanted nothing more to do with him, and Zuko winced.

"Katara…arrgh, you can be so _stubborn_. Just open the flipping door!" he burst out, already losing his patience.

"I already told you, no!" her reply was slightly muffled from the inside of the room, but her refusal was as clear as though she had shouted it in his ear.

Sighing and sinking down onto the floor, Zuko snapped at her, sounding angrier than he felt, "I don't see why you're acting like this, wench. You _knew_ we only had money for one inn room, and I remember specifically _telling_ you we'd have to share one."  
There was an indignant gasp at the revival of her old nickname, but after a moment, only silence.

Then, the door cracked open an inch, and Katara told him coolly, the one eye he could see colder than the frigid village she'd grown up in, "You called Aang a coward."  
"Well, maybe that's because he is! He…he thinks that…he…I don't…that's why we split up from everyone else, remember? And I…he wanted to…" Zuko trailed off, meeting her gaze helplessly but somehow shrinking back in the face of the frosty look he received in return. "I…look, Katara….I'm sorry." Gritting his teeth, he added, trying to sound pleasant, "You sure there isn't anything else?"  
From the pinched expression she wore, there most certainly was. "You keep…you talk in your sleep."

Narrowing his eyes, Zuko answered carefully, "And that would be relevant…how?"

"It'd always _her_ name," Katara spat, the door swinging open a good bit wider as her fingernails dug into the edge. "Mai, Mai, Mai, Mai, _Mai_…What about _me_? What about _us_?" by the end of her rant, the waterbender's voice had become considerably more distressed and hurt than before, and it seemed to pain her to talk about the woman Zuko had once cherished so dearly.

Taking in a hiss of a breath, his brain whirled. In a flash, he remembered all of it – the note, the one he was sure would be the last time he'd ever get to convey his thoughts to her without being labeled a traitor…and then, Azula, how she'd told him of the nights spent crying, fuming, heartbroken….

And Zuko knew, knew he couldn't hurt Katara like he'd hurt that _other_ girl; because Katara was _different_ – she was like the kind of flower that came up every year after a long and hard winter, tough and strong, but unable to survive losing too many of her the roots that kept her seated firmly in the ground. So he retorted, doing his very best to sound cruel and uncaring and detached and all the things she so hates, "Us who?"

Katara stared at him for a long moment, then slammed the door shut immediately. Shivering, Zuko pressed his back against the wall and tried to forget the feeling her eyes had given him – freezing him down to the farthest reaches of his soul; chilling him into the horrible realization that he might _never_ get forgiven for this. Of course he wouldn't _apologize_; that would just make it worse, because in the end, Zuko knew which one of them would suffer.

It was worth it, though, if only she stayed unhurt.

Zuko's first night on the road with Katara was spent alone.

(_because I never had the patience to come and let you in_)

_iii. cut_

It's been what seems like a thousand years since that time at the inn so many years ago. Strength has been fought and surrendered; scars have been reopened than healed once more; fight after fight has taken place.

But they still haven't spoken of _that night_, because Zuko knew who would suffer if he was ever _really_ forgiven.

She ran her fingers over his wrist again and again as they sat by the flickering fire, feeling each small indent, each upraised line, each scar he had marked himself with, but said nothing.  
Without a word, he picked up the knife – dimly, she recognized one of the very same aimed at her by a raven-haired girl so many years ago – and sliced into the flesh, leaving a single drop of blood on the blade as he returned it to his back pocket.

Staring at him, horrified, Katara clasped her hand in his and whispered, "How can you do this?"  
Giving her a blank look, Zuko replied, voice hushed, "It's easier than you think," and the waterbender was shocked to here a _wistfulness_ in his words, almost as if he wished he could do more.

Letting her grip drop, she leeched onto his hand once more just as he began to walk away, "Why are you doing this?"

He looked at her as though it was the simplest thing in the world. "I miss her," Zuko's eyes tried to evade hers, but she still caught in them reflected the memory of a pale faced girl with a smile, however rare, like sunlight on a cloudy day, and the very last battle of interchanging loyalties, a final decision and a whispered, _"I'm sorry, Mai."_

As he left, his words echoed in Katara's head – _It's easier than you think _– and knew that perhaps, for him, it was.

(_because you're so much weaker than you once were_)

_iiii. heartbreak_

"You love him." Zuko said flatly, eyes remaining emotionless as he studies her with an air of detached interest.

"Yes," Katara replied, almost defiantly, "Yes, I do."  
He paused. Then, "Are you sure?"  
"Yes."

For a moment there was nothing but the eerie silence and the tension crackling in the air.

Finally, Zuko asked, his voice as pained as hers had been _that night_ so many years ago, "What about me? What about _us_?"

Startled, Katara seemed to realize all at once that he was repeating her distant plea, the one he had---seemingly to her----carelessly brushed off. So twisting her mouth into a sneer, she asked, tone as sharp and painful as Sokka's sword when it had first been molded, "Us who?"

Zuko didn't move even an inch as she marched off to participate in the wedding he _should_ be part of, that he _should_ have been taking place in. The words were their, echoing in his head, almost like a mantra:  
_Us who? Us who? Us who?_

Yes, he decided, thinking of all the scathing words and still-raw wounds, _us who indeed._

(_because I never got a chance to fix my mistake_)

_v. heal_

"He's gone," Katara choked out after a long moment, tears blurring her vision as she fell down on her knees, trembling, "Oh my God, he's gone."  
Zuko remained silent as she let out a few deep breaths, finally daring to ask, "How so?"

Letting out a hiss, she gritted her teeth and answered, "I think...we weren't wasn't happy. It was held together by an old friendship and duty, nothing else. I...it became too much for him. So..." shrugging helplessley, she murmured, almost as an afterthought, "I feel...free."  
Pausing for a moment, Zuko noted, "Freedom...that's something I haven't had in a long time." Throwing back his head, he let out a short and bitter laugh.

Gazing at him uninterrupted for the first time in a long time, Katara asked quietly, "Why would you say that?"  
His flickered to rest on her questioning expression for a moment, but it was fleeting, for Zuko only turned back to gaze at the sun setting in the distance. "No reason imparticular."

Standing up in one fluid motion, she came over to halt just next to the brooding man. "It's me, isn't it?"

His eyes remained on the sunset, but his shoulders tenses visibly. "Why would you think that?"  
"I..." she hesitated. "Zuko, I'm willing to forgive you if you're willing to forgive me."

"There's nothing to be forgiven."

"Zuko..." Katara sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "I...love you."

Jerking his head to meet her gaze dead center, Zuko inquired scathingly, "And you've only just now come to realize this?"  
Shaking her head slowly, she replied softly, "I think I've known for a long time. But I was too afraid...too afraid to say something. At first, I thought you would reject me. But then...there was Mai...and Aang."  
Zuko was quiet for a moment. Then he pointed out, "Mai is dead, Katara. If you'd think that she would make me care about you any less..." he trailed off, then, turning to look at her directly, began, "Look...I know...that we've both made mistakes. But I think...let's just let this go, okay? Move on." Walking ever so slowly, he turned away from the shocked woman and began heading in the direction of the bloodred sunset.

Just as a few moments after he began to leave, Katara burst out angrily, "You're leaving me, too, aren't you? First Sokka moved in with Toph...then my father died...and now my own _husband_ has left me! You're all I have left! If you go, Zuko, I'll have no one! Can't you understand that?"

He stopped. In a low voice, he questioned, "No one?"  
Taking in a ragged breath and shutting her eyes tightly, Katara repeated, "No one."

She heard the thump of footsteps as he approached her through the darkness, but not even an eyelash was raised. If she didn't look she wouldn't know; wouldn't have to know whether or not he was coming to hurt her or, perhaps, help her...

The footsteps stopped. She felt his warm breath on her cheek and could hear his heart beat, _thump, thump, thump_.

Suddenly, warm lips were pressed against hers. Katara's eyes flew open, then fluttered closed once more as the kiss deepened. It was all a dream, she was sure, just one big dream...

When broke away, gasping for air, Zuko told her with a crooked smile, "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that."

Now, finally, he could. They were both free; free of promises to others or themselves; free of their old lives; free of _everything_.

Katara smiled and laced her arm through his. "Come on...let's go home."

And they did.

(_because now you're mine and I'm not letting you go, not once in my life, not once in a century..._

_not once in forever._)_

* * *

_Originally written as a oneshot, but I changed my mind and posted it here instead.

So...you guys like it?

Edit: So, wait, am I being punished or something, lol? I already have about 50 hits (average is 200) and no reviews. Was it really that bad? Seriously, getting five reviews a chapter means one out of every...uh...forty people reviews. Are there lurkers out there or somethin', who read my drabbles but don't review? Sorry if I'm coming across as cranky...but even if you hate it, I'd like to know why. Oh, and a big thanks to those who _do_ review!


	63. Remember

Even though months have passed and some believe it to be but a distant memory of yet another betrayal in her mind, Katara remembers the caverns of Ba Sing Se. The sharp, clear image of the glowing green crystals, so reminiscent of the ones the lit the path for her and the young avatar to take what seems like a eternity ago, has not left her mind for an instant since that moment when she saw inside.

And maybe that's why, maybe that's why it's so hard. Time and time again she tries to change it; turn the memory into a day when only his name would have made her turn nauseous with disgust; when it was still alright for him to stay the faceless, soulless monster he always seemed to be.

They think the problem is that she can't forget him, can't forget what he has done in the past. They are wrong.

It is true she can't forget those words exchanged during the battle and the feeling of trust, her newfound haven, slipping out from beneath her, leaving her in the dark and in a strange new world of hurt.

_But that's not the problem._

Because, she realizes, studying him once again with the same piercing gaze she must use to see underneath the underneath, it isn't that she can't _forget_ his faults...

It's the fact that she can't _remember_ them that made her his from the start.

* * *

Wierd, I know...it was kinda spur of the moment, so there's a chance it could be deleted because I'm not write sure how I feel about it.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while; it seems that once again I'm getting more into _reading_ fanfics than writing them. But you _should_ know that the updates will probably once be once a week from now on (I'm trying to get more regular).

But, whatever. Hope you liked it: D


	64. Savior

She'd always thought of herself as a simple healer; someone to call in after the fight was done—of perhaps after she'd survived unscathed—to sew together the jagged wounds and glue the broken pieces back together. Katara had not once imagined to think that _she_ would one day be solely responsible for a person's survival—even if she _was_ a warrior and a waterbender, there was no room for playing hero.

All the time, through holding together the pieces of his battered soul as slowly mended on their own, Katara had believed she, in some remote way, was saving the worlds savior—Avatar Aang—by protecting him from the wrath of a broken man. It was a mystery as to how, along the way, she had fallen _out_ of her first love and _into_ another while still believing she was doing it all only for an airbender that had never been hers to claim in the first place.

But now and only now did she realize, as Zuko struggled to tear down the last wall between them and an entirely new relationship that would change his life forever, that she had only been doing the same thing all along:

Saving _him_.

* * *

Um...I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. I'm thinking that it might be a little too confusing...Tell me what you think, please... 

But, anyway--I know it's really lame, lol, but in celebration of reaching a mark I never thought I'd be able to, my three hundreth reviewer (no skill involved, I guess) gets to request a oneshot and/or drabble, if it's too short to go up on it's own. Oh, and to whoever guessed the quote about 10 chapters back--I am SO sorry I haven't gotten that up yet. I will get it up soon, and it won't take this long again, I promise.


	65. Happy Ending

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for who I am, for what I've done. I'm sorry for the person I'll never be, and I'm sorry for hurting you.

I'm sorry I didn't stop myself when we both knew who'd end up hurt and alone in the end.

_I'm sorry for dying when you needed me most._

But most of all, I'm sorry for being the one who finally took away your happy ending.

I guess I never realized that I was part of it.

* * *

Popped into my head while reading another drabble series. And, also...I feel really bad for 'advertising' here, but if anyone didn't know about it, I started a new drabbles series (entitled _Flip Flop_) made up entirely of AU's. I'm probably the only one who cares, lol...Oh, and sorry if it's been too long since my last update (since I know it probably has).


	66. criss cross

**Title:** criss cross

**Summary:** They've come a long way. Zuko, Katara, and the ties that bind.

**Pairing:** Zutara

**A/N:** I didn't really plan to post this here, put srsly--you guys deserve it. How long has it been? Four months? Five? Or longer? I dunno. But, I'll try to update once in a while...

Hope you like it!

* * *

"Why did you lie to me?" 

Zuko's head jerks up to stare at Katara as her quiet

(_demanding_)

question drifts over the fire. Blinking at her once, the firebender gazes at the dying flames and asks, just as quietly, "I don't understand. What do you mean, Katar--" he breaks off, inclining his head just so; the blurry stars outling the sky against his scarred face.

Her name is a tabboo

(_to say it would be to tell her, _I know that you don't forgive me, but I'm going in anyway, _and that it something Zuko can't--_

_won't--_

_do_)

and Zuko doesn't want to breach this unspoken rule. After all, why give her another reason to

(_tear him apart; shun him; take away the one thing he's ever wanted: to be trusted_)

hurt him when Katara has far too many of them already?

"I mean, in the cave. You said that you'd changed, when obviously, you hadn't." Katara's angry voice rushes at him at a hundred miles an hour, harsh, hateful,

(_refreshingly blunt_)

and filled with a god-to-honest _pleading_ that Zuko can't bring himself to refuse.

Zuko looks down at the ground because

(_deep down, he knows he's not worthy of anything else_)

facing Katara head-on would be just that more terrifying. "I though I'd changed." He swallowed, once, and a sneer crept across Katara's face, morphing

(_disfiguring_)

her features

(_normally so gentle, and Zuko can't _stand_ what he's doing to her; what she's doing to _herself)

into a scornful entity

(_the face of an enemy)._

"I was wrong."

Katara looks at him, doubtful, and with a hint of disgust. "That won't work with me anymore, Zuko. I've learned my lesson and now I know the truth: there are some people you just can't change."

"I'm sorry I've made you feel that way," Zuko replies, trying to sound

(_like he doesn't want to jump up and pound _I'm sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry _into her thick skull_)

at least somewhat sincere.

"That won't work with me anymore! That--honest emotions--truly sorry--_real human_ thing," she spits out at him, eyes shining with

(_concealed hurt and a desperate longing to, for once in her life, be _wrong_ about this man_)

pent up rage.

"I'm sorry," Zuko tells her, all too reminscent of times gone by

(_"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me!"_

_"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."_)

and could-have-beens

(_dreams come true and wishes on stars and_ do you believe in desinty, Zuko? _and_ yes, mom, I do I do I do I do I do--)

that never were in the first place.

"I told you, that's not going to work on me!" Katara hisses back, eyes narrowed like that of a feral cat. Jumping up and gathering a water-whip in her hand

(_she doesn't even notice, and that's when Zuko realizes that it's instinctive--_

_he's instinctive--_

_that's how long she's seen him for an enemy--_

_and, for a moment, Zuko almost feels sortakindamaybe sad_)

"You're evil, and cruel, and don't care about anyone but yourself--

(but that's not true_, a small voice inside him says, _that's not true anymore, is it? _and he wants to tell her--_

Katara_, that's her name; _Katara_--_

_that so bad it hurts, but he--_

_can't--_

_won't--_)

--and--and you lie! Am I the only one that can see you're going to betray us the first chance you get?!?!"

(_and he's weakweakweakweakweak because it's so _hard_ and it shouldn't be--_

_it shouldn't be like this_)

"If Aang didn't need you for firebending, I'd--we'd _all--__kill_ you! Don't you get it?!?! No one wants you here!

(_a twinge of pain rings through him--_

_he's been so happy, felt so fulfilled, because for once in his life, Zuko knew that what he was doing was truly _right_--_

_and he doesn't want Katara to take that away_)

"I _hate_ you! You betrayed us! I _trusted_ you, and you betrayed us!"

(_and oh, god it hurts so much, hearing her say that--_

_hurtshurtshurtshurtshurts--_)

"Why the hell won't you just _leave_?!?!"

(_and then--and then--and then--_)

Zuko snaps. "I don't understand! Why are you doing this?!?" he leaps up, yelling. Clutching at his hair widly, with a hint of

(_insanity_)

desperation, he continues frantically, "I apologize and apologize and _apologize_ for everything I do--

(_now, almost subconsciously, Zuko notices that Katara seems like she is about to cry, and he wonders--_

_Is he finally,_ finally_--_

_getting through to her?_)

"And I'm just _sorry_

(_sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry_)

alright? S-o-r-r-y! Sorry! So why don't you _please _

(_a hint of pleading; of begging, rubs through and begins to show_)

just _shut up_ and _pay attention_

(listen_, he wants to scream at her_, listen--)

to what I'm saying?!?"

Taking a shuddering, deep breath, Zuko pauses and

(_realizes what he's done_)

looks at Katara head-on for the first time. To his dismay

(_he doesn't know why, but the guilt begins to overwhelm him, shame him, until, _finally_--_

_he remembers what had to be said_)

tears are streaming down her cheeks.

Knees to her chest, she falls

(_for a moment there is a suffocating desire to **catch her**_)

to the floor. "I'm sorry," she chokes out, a strangled expression passing across her scrunched up face

(_still beautiful; _always_ beautiful_).

"It's was so hard," Katara whispers, pain flickering across her face for the briefest of moments

(_although it feels like a lifetime, caught in that one split-second, when Zuko realized:_

_she wanted to trust me, wanted to wanted to wantedwantedwantedwanted to--_)

"I--I had to hate you," she swallows, tears still streaming down her face, turning her cheeks wet

(_Zuko wishes he could wipe them all away, but he--_

_they both--_

_need to hear this_).

"You betrayed us!" Katara sobs out, eyes squeezing shut and clutching her knees to her chest, one hand threaded around her necklace

_(the one he used to bait her, once upon a villainy--_

_and shame rushed through Zuko as he realizes this_).

"Do you know how much that hurt?" she gaspes in, eyes a deep, watery blue. "I was so ready to forgive and forget! I _wanted_ to get to know you, and find out more about your mother, and maybe--maybe even become _friends_!"

(_a concept once so foreign, and Zuko wonders when it started to seem actually, sincerely _plausible)

"But then--in the cave--" Katara struggles with her words. "You--you--!"

Anger returns to her gaze for a moment, before disappearing in the blink of an eye

(_and Zuko thinks that there has never been anything quite so wonderful and frightening; being forgiven_).

She buries her head in her hands, hiding from the world

(_maybe, he thinks, maybe they're not so different after all_).

"But--but--" Katara seems to make an effort; grabs ahold of herself

(_and Zuko envies her for this; that she can just pass of emotions as if they were nothing_).

"You were wrong as well," she says steadily, eyes following Zuko's quick nod. "I'm not gonna say it's all my fault

(oh, no_, Zuko wants to say to her, _it isn't)

'cause you messed up, too." Katara puts on a brave smile

(_he's proud that, for the first time, he's able to return it_).

"Do you think that's enough?" she dares to ask him. "Do you think it's enough to become friends?

(_Zuko's never wanted more in his entire life--_

_his palms are sweating because of it_)

"To start over?" Blue eyes seek out his, and for a moment, they are suspended in time; hanging, paralyzed, frozen

(_but is Zuko strong enough to melt it all away, to once and for all make _this_--_

_this _thing_--_

_this _them_--_

_anew?_).

"Is it?" Zuko muses.

They both hold their breaths.

They've come along way.

Zuko searches himself; tries to figure out if its enough and--

it is.


	67. Enchantress

**The rating has now been officially upped to T, due to language in this chapter. Besides that, enjoy!**

* * *

Ugh.

That water peasant is so _infuriating_!

I mean, who does she think she is?! Some sort of _enchantress_? She's weaving one of her water-savage spells around me, and I can't get out.

Haven't you noticed? The way she makes her eyes shine--positively _evil_! They're so bright and alive and...and _blue_. Blue like that infuriating _ocean_ of hers. How am I supposed to concentrate on my firebending with something as distracting as _that_ around?!

And her _smile_! Don't even get me started on her _smile_! Her teeth are so white, it's like someone's shining a light right in my eyes! And have you _seen_ her lips? So full, so luscious...I know it may seem terrifying--earth shattering, even--but whatever she does to them...it must mess with my head. Stupid peasant.

Because sometimes I'm just looking at her, smiling brightly at that childish little Avatar of hers, and I almost want to _kiss_ her.

I know! Isn't the prospect absolutely _disgusting_?

Her laugh is the worst of all.

Whenever I hear her _snicker_, or _chuckle_, or, the evilest of the three, _giggle_, it's like my entire day is perfect. I can't _stand_ it! Don't I have the right to be sulk all day if I wish to do so?! She's taking away my freedom! My essence! My untethered emotions! Besides, what the hell does she _do_ to her _voice_? Her laughter isn't laughter! It's like singing! It's like the trill of a bird early in the morning or--or--or the sound of wind chimes tinkling in the breeze!

See! Even now, she's causing me to _babble _and _hallucinate_!

That stupid water peasant has almost complete control over me.

But all that's going to end. Pretty soon, I'm be living in a world without ocean-blue eyes...

...or blinding smiles...

...or bird-trill laughter.

Tch. This shouldn't be that hard! Why am I feeling so unhappy all of a sudden? I should be overjoyed! Ecsatic! That happiest I've ever been!

I mean, it's not like I'm in love with her or anything!

...Wait--

Oh.

...Well, shit.


	68. What He Didn't Say

**(FINALE SPOILERS) Zuko's thoughts as Katara healed him during the finale. I'm not sure if he was really thinking this, but for some reason I was in the mood to write Zutara. Thanks to all that are still hanging around this dusty old drabble series, reviewing :)**

* * *

You want to tell her so many things.

You want to tell her how wonderful her water-submerged hands feel on your skin, and the way your heart melts the tiniest bit when she sheds those tears--tears for _you_.

You want to whisper in the shell of her ear that even though these past few days have built bridges like no others, you sometimes wish one particular bridge (grey and blue eyes locked together; secret smiles meant for only one person_--and it isn't you_...) would sink right into the pits of Hell--though deep down, you know that you belong there more than Aang ever will. The fire within you burns to consume and destroy it inside and out, and only strengthen your own, new bridge in its place.

You want to explain to her, too, how selfish you are for wanting her; how shamed you are that her sweet, forbidden touch haunts your dreams (and not in ways Katara would have experienced).

But more than anything, you want to deadpan that you do not love her, will never love her, and have never loved her, because Katara is the girl that would hold unrequited love against _herself_, even though the fault is naught bu your own. You want to beg her to forgive you for all of your sins, but especially for one: wanting _her_, needing _her_ when the very nature of it will destroy you both.

For you, Zuko, know what you are. You know that you _cannot_ allow yourself to even _think_ of being with her, because you will take _everything_from Katara and you will not give it back.

But then, she is looking at you expectantly and you know you can say none of these things, not one. So you lock your mind and heart and throw away the key as you smile softly (_sadly_) hoping that she will understand only what she needs to and nothing more.

When you are done, you try to pretend that "Thank you, Katara" doesn't leave you wishing you could say so much more.


End file.
